The Legend of Zelda: The Influx
by Jigglywigglypuff
Summary: Zelink. He promised he would be back, and his return led to events most unexpected. Forgotten love, time traveling, and an adventure that would test the struggling relationship of Link and the Princess. Continuation of Zelda 64.
1. Prelude

**_Prelude_**

A promise is a promise.

He pledged revenge…revenge for his day of defeat. That fateful day where only one man got in his way and ruined everything. Everything that could have been his, and should have. He deserved it, didn't he? All that hard work and ass kissing for all those years–everything he sacrificed–to receive all that power he longed and hoped for. And finally, when it was almost all his–when he was at the climax of receiving the world itself–the kid came along. Then it all collapsed.

_Ganondorf never accepts defeat…never…_

He said he would find a way out of that prison they sent him into…locked within the Golden Power itself. And he managed to slip through, break free, and hide while he thought of the most perfect scheme that would blow the minds of all the people of Hyrule and of those distant.

Oh…the sweet, sweet taste of much longed for revenge.

Looking into her mirror, she combed her long strands of golden, silky hair, her blue eyes glowing from the moonlight. She smiled at her lovely reflection of pure beauty that was before her. With lips a deep magenta pink and flawless skin, he was considered one of the loveliest creatures of Hyrule.

There was a knock on her door. "Princess Zelda…" Then, a split second later, the soft knock went to a wild bang. "PRINCESS ZELDA? PRINCESS ZELDA!" Recognizing the voice, the princess jumped up and ran to answer the door of her room. It was Impa, her aunt, of course. She had her hands crossed and a smile on her face. "Lights out," she proclaimed, "I wanted to say good–why aren't you in your sleepwear yet, Princess?" Zelda looked down at herself and saw the lovely dress of pink, white, and silk that was on her. _Oh, great…_ she thought.

"I was just about to do that before you knocked, ma'am," she answered with a royal smile. Impa nodded, even though it looked like she didn't believe her that much. "Right… Goodnight, Zelda," she told her.

"Goodnight… Oh, and Impa…?"

"Yes?"

Zelda hesitated before answering, "Um… Can you make sure I'm not interrupted tonight? I really need to get some rest." Nodding with a soft smile, the older woman left. Afterwards, Zelda abruptly shut her door and locked it with her key. Grabbing a thin robe, she wrapped the covering around her body, also using it to shield her face. She went by her window, opened it, and then looked out to see if there were any guards in view. She sighed a breath of relief as she blew out her candle and carefully climbed out of her window.

Who would have known what Zelda was up to all those nights when they all thought she was in her warm cozy bed, sleeping liking an angel. She successfully managed to escape many nights in a row for a while now and found her way in the market place. It was not like she knew how to fool those guards all on her own. Someone had taught her. _He_ taught her. He was the very reason she was even out here tonight.

She waited in the dark by a shop, alone. Zelda tried to pretend she wasn't scared, even though she was trembling at every single noise she heard. Five minutes went by, then ten. _Where is he_? she thought, getting more angry and annoyed than worried. Thinking he was not going to make it tonight, she turned around and began to head home.

She felt a touch on her shoulder, and with an instant rush of panic coming over her, Zelda turned around with her eyes shut and side-kicked who she thought was her predator. Of course, she regretted it later on when she recognized whose yelp it was and opened her eyes.

"LINK!" She ran to the man who was now on the ground, embracing his stomach. "I'm SOOO sorry!" she exclaimed as she helped him up. His light blue eyes locked with her own and his soft lips gave her a weak smile.

"No, it's my fault," he told her, grunting a little bit. "Now I know never to surprise you again." Zelda smiled broadly, and then gave Link an affectionate hug that didn't end. "I thought you forgot about me," she whispered, moving a strand of blond hair away from his face. "Of course I didn't," he replied. But, before he could explain himself, Zelda sunk her lips into his and gave him a tender kiss.

Who would have known? Zelda, the beautiful princess of Hyrule, and Link, a true hero adorned in tights and a tunic, would surely fall in love? Now, they were eight-teen years old, and they thought they knew what they were doing. To them, this was the perfect secret relationship that no one would know about.

But he knew…and he was watching… And he couldn't wait.

No one could believe their eyes the following evening at the dining table. "May I have another glass of milk, sir?" Zelda asked her personal waiter and chef as she gorged down her evening meal and her seconds. Impa watched her carefully, struck with curiosity as she wondered about the sudden change in the petite lady's appetite. "Are you feeling okay?" she asked the princess.

"Yes," Zelda answered her. "I've just never felt this ravenous before." The second glass came, and she decided to take a sip and slow down. She looked down at her bloated, full stomach. All at once, she began to feel faint and nauseous. _How much did I eat? _She wondered in her mind. _Is there something wrong with me? _Then, she felt it. She couldn't stop it either. The acidy vomit went from her stomach, to her throat, and out her mouth so quickly that it were almost as if it didn't happen.

Impa jumped up, mouth agape. "Princess Zelda! What–? We need some water here!" She, and many of the servants, began to run around frantically as Zelda only sat there, astonished as she just realized why she didn't feel quite as normal as she usually did.

_Oh no…_ she thought to herself. "Oh no…"

Impa took it upon herself that night to tuck Zelda in herself. She felt her forehead with the palm of her hand. "What happened?" she asked the princess as she sat at the edge of her bed. Zelda only shrugged her shoulders, nudging herself away from her white-haired aunt. She knew the answer to the question very well. There was silence for a few seconds as Impa stared at Zelda, as if she was trying to find the answer by the look on her face.

"Do you think you'll feel well enough for the Royal Hylian Ball next week?" she finally asked her. "You know you can't stay single forever." Zelda gulped as she tried to figure out a way to slide pass this one. "Um…maybe," was all she could think of. Impa sighed as she motioned that she was about to leave the room.

"Well, then goodnight, Princess," she told her, "And don't worry, I've got the guards covered." Zelda jumped up from bed. "WHAT?" she proclaimed. Impa gave her a look of confusion.

"You know…for your restful sleep," she answered her. Relaxing with a relieved sigh, she laid back down. "Oh, alright. Goodnight." Unfortunately, when she left the room she blew out the candle as well. Carefully, Zelda rose out of bed.

_Great_, _now I can't see anything. _Trying to get to her window, she bumped into her dresser, then the wall until she finally reached it. Slowly she opened it, and then looked out for guards again. There was one by the garden who seemed as if had fallen asleep on the roses. With an unsure feeling, Zelda climbed down her window, holding onto the bricks for support. She moved past the guards and climbed a hill the rest of the way so they wouldn't see her–the same route as always. The next thing she knew, she was at the marketplace once again.

She waited for Link, thinking about how she would tell him. Though she knew it was the proper thing to do, she didn't know the proper means of going about it. _How am I supposed to tell him…?_ _I mean, it's partly his fault anyway. Actually, it IS his fault! _Thinking of that made her smile. But, the bigger problem was…how was she supposed to tell Impa? And how would the royal throne of Hyrule react to her news?

"Oh my… How am I going to tell him…?"

"Tell me what?"

Quickly, the princess turned around, but didn't use violence this time to cope with her surprise. She saw before her a handsome, smiling Link with his arms behind his back. She returned the smile, but refrained from kissing or even touching the grinning pretty-faced young man.

"Oh, it's you! You scared me…again," said the princess, placing a nervous hand behind her head, avoiding his question. Sensing something was wrong, Link released his arms from aback to reveal a picturesque flower, unlike any that was in her garden. Beaming broadly, Zelda grabbed the flower from his hand. "Oh, it's so pretty! I love you so much!" Without thinking, she kissed his lips, but then regretted it when she saw the sour look on his face afterwards.

"Er…Zelda?"

"…Y-Yeah…?"

"Did your aunt cook for you again today?"

"No…I…um…Well, you see…" she began, but couldn't finish. She had been trying to stall this moment from arriving, but now she was forced to confront the matter.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked her. "Are you feeling okay? You seem pale. You can tell me anything, you know that."

Then, she yelled the words that she hoped would never come out of her mouth. "LINK, YOU IDIOT, I'M PREGNANT!"

That's when Zelda wondered if it were truly possible for a man's skin to change from peach to pale white that quickly. She had never seen Link so astounded. He just simply stood there, mouth agape, frozen. "Um…Link, honey, are you all right?" she asked as she took his hand. _Perhaps I should have found a more appropriate way to spill to tell him..._

Finally, he seemed to be shaken back into reality. Softly holding her stomach, he looked down and smiled. "You mean…Little Link is in there?" Zelda laughed smugly. "It's more Little Zelda than it is Little Link."

Then, he gave her a big hug, and after a limp moment, she returned his embrace. "I'm so happy you aren't upset," Zelda said, "But, I don't think I should tell Aunt Impa."

"Well, I think she's sort of going to notice, Zelda."

Knowing he was right, she scrunched her face. "And that ball is next week. How am I supposed to tell her everything? About you and me and the baby, and, well, everything!"

"For a spoiled princess you sure worry a lot," Link teased. "Okay, good. Then you'll come to the ball and you'll tell her everything!" she exclaimed.

"What? Wait, Zelda–"

"Oh, thank you, Link! I knew I could count on you!" she finished, and then gave him a quick kiss, "I have to leave." Hurriedly, she ran off, leaving Link dumbfounded.

"Zelda!" he cried out, "WAIT!" Unfortunately, there wasn't a reply. _She leaves __me__ with all the dirty work, _Link thought, and then heaved a sigh.

The rest of the week leading to the ball was lunacy. Everyone was running around all over the castle getting prepared for the event. Zelda, however, remained in her room as she ate cake and knitted blankets for her baby. Even though she was apprehensive on the subject, a part of her was filled with excitement. Would she bear a boy or girl Hylian? What would she name it? Zelda knew that she had laid all the pressure of revealing the truth to everyone to Link, knowing that he never really did agree to it, but went on with the idea to please her.

The most obvious reason Zelda didn't want everyone to find out about the relationship right away was from the risk of rejection. Even though Link was pleasing to the eye, he wasn't exactly king material. He shows more leg than Zelda reveals her neck. Also, he is not a prince or of any political or royal background. Sure, he'd be fit as a head guard in the eyes of the sovereigns of Hyrule, but he wouldn't be first choice as king.

But they loved each other, and that was all that counted. Link knew how to fight, use a sword, and treat a lady like a treasure and not property. Zelda remembered the first day she realized how much she cared for him. It was that day in the garden when she was sixteen. Link had decided to "drop by for a visit" and was caught by the guards. As they were debating whether to lock him up or throw him off of the property, Zelda caught a glimpse of their unfortunate prisoner.

"Take your hands off of him!" she commanded.

"But, our dear princess, he is a trespasser and–"

"I said, OFF!"

And the orders of the raunchy princess were obeyed. They then spent the day together in the garden, talking about Hyrule, politics, and their friendly history. She had never been so close to everyone in her life as she was with Link that day. She could understand his need for adventure and how he must have felt not having a steady place to live, as she was aware of how Link valued her opinions and points of view in life.

When she had asked him why he had highly risked being captured by guards in daylight just to visit her (which, in fact, he did), his reply was, "I don't know. I just felt as if I _had_ to see you." With that response came a smile that was more than words could ever say and worth more than all the rupees that could ever be offered to her. And at that moment, she didn't know why, but she kissed him.

The affair didn't begin right away, probably because of the fear of commitment at such an early age. It was probably on Zelda's eighteenth birthday, when Link came knocking on her window at night. As a sleepy Zelda lifted the glass open, the boy clothed in green kissed her immediately. Without even an explanation, he zealously expressed his love for her, and since then, they had been inseparable…well, during the night, that was.

The sex followed almost instantly afterwards. Usually in the Lost Woods, and to Zelda, there was never an unsatisfying encounter. It had begun unexpectedly, in which a deep kiss in the woods led to touching, touching to fondling, and fondling to Zelda lifting her skirts and giving him permission to take her.

And now, they were going to have a child. A part of her wanted to tell Impa about her and Link just then, before the ball, so the older wouldn't waste her time. But, she was afraid of what her aunt's reaction would be. So, she waited, and decided to let Link do it. Besides, it _was_ his fault, anyway.

It was the night Zelda greatly anticipated. The Royal Hylian Ball. Her seamstress prepared a dress for her of fine silks, as Impa commented on how Zelda had gained some weight since she was last sized.

"I don't know…Maybe we should have gone with the royal red silk curtains instead of the blue suede…" Impa told her niece. "What do you think?" Zelda, not paying much attention to what was being said, promptly looked up when she heard her name.

"What?" she replied dully. Impa shook her head at her, "I swear, what has been wrong with you lately? You've been almost as dense as a log." Impa then walked away, leaving Zelda feeling even more worried than before.

_Oh, wonderful…_she thought, _Impa is so overwhelmed about the party that she's going to be furious when I, I mean __Link__, tells her about the pregnancy. _Since the thought of that was very overpowering, Zelda went to her room and began knitting a sweater for her infant. The ball would be in several hours, and, until then, here she would stay and knit all her troubles away.

Before she knew it, Zelda had been knitting for hours, having made a red sweater and brown blanket. Now, it was almost time for the big ball, and she couldn't be any more nervous than she was now.

There was a knock at her window.

Anxiously, she rushed to the glass and opened it to find a smiling Link. "Hey, sexy," was his greeting to her. Quite upset with his welcoming, she harshly closed the window on him. Unfortunately, when she heard the yelp from outside, Zelda looked down and saw the tips of his fingers sticking out. Gasping, she opened it again.

"Sorry," she said, helping him in.

"Am I invited to this great ball thing of yours?" Link asked.

"Of course," she answered, "How else are you–"

"Why are you bailing this all out on me?" he interrupted, predicting the conclusion of her sentence."This is your responsibility, too." Zelda wanted to be angry at Link at that point, but she couldn't. Because she knew he was right. All her life she had been given everything she wanted and had been spoiled rotten as well. She wanted her own rose garden, she got one. She wanted Link, and she got him too. And, even though she didn't ask for this baby, in her heart she wanted it as well. Now, it was time to start acting like a real adult and not a pampered brat.

"Fine," she replied after a moment of silence, her arms folded over her chest with a pouty pink lip. "I'll tell her. But you'll have to come with me…Is that what you're going to wear?" Link looked down at himself, wearing the usual: white tight, boots and a short tunic, this time a noble red color. He shrugged his shoulders as if it were no big deal. "Yeah. So?" Zelda chuckled and smiled at his response. That was another thing she liked about Link. He never cared much about what other people thought of him.

"You know, you have some pretty brainless guards," he commented, "I came here tonight without a problem. They're all by the gates, welcoming all those prudish snots you invited."

Of course, her boyfriend was a major smart alleck as well.

"Link, let's just go downstairs and get this over with." Pulling his hand, she opened the door and left her room, dragging him downstairs to where Impa was once again observing her curtains.

"IMPA!" Zelda exclaimed. "Aunt Impa! Look who's here!" She turned around and then smiled in a quite pleased but also quite confused manner. "Oh, Link! Welcome!" she greeted, then narrowed her eyes, "…How'd you get here?" Link opened his mouth to speak, but was hastily interrupted by Zelda. "We really need to talk you…RIGHT NOW," she hinted, "Right now meaning as in _now_."

"Yeah…what she said."

"What's this all about, you two?" she asked them. "You know this is the biggest event in Hyrule of the year, and Zelda, you still need to meet all those people." But, the princess insisted, "Please! This is important! Let's go in the other room. Please!" Marching in front of them, Impa went the other direction. "Fine, but you better make this quick."

"How do you think she'll take the news?" Link whispered to Zelda before they followed her. "You know…" she began, "I have a strong feeling that she might handle this better than I would expect."

"WHAT?"

_Uh oh…_ was the first thought that ran through both minds upon seeing Impa's reaction. The

woman firmly rose from her chair and looked at the couple sternly. Her eyes seemed to glare red and she

appeared as if steam were to come out of her nostrils at any given time. Impa was definitely not as lenient as

Zelda hoped her aunt would be.

"I absolutely cannot BELIEVE you Princess Zelda!" Impa shouted. "How could you keep something as substantial as this a secret from me for so long? Especially now! NOW! The day of the ball! The day where you're supposed meet someone and fall in love and–"

"IMPA!" Zelda yelled, interrupting her, "For goodness sake, haven't you been listening to a word I've said? I already AM in love!"

Then, Zelda stood and the aunt and niece began to argue and yell at one another bitterly. Voices raised, fierce hand gestured were made. Link, on the other hand, didn't know what to do besides watch them.

At last, he went forth to the bickering relatives and said, "Guys…er, girls! Stop quarreling about this. Impa, you should have enough respect for your niece to value her choice and Zelda, you should respect your aunt enough to not scream right in her face! You both are acting like little babies. And I don't feel really safe knowing that babies are in charge of Hyrule and not reasonable and responsible adults."

To Link's surprise that made them hush up. Impa's glare towads him was deadly, but after a moment, she took a deep breath, her expression softening. "We shouldn't discuss this now," she ordered, "But you, Zelda, still have many, many men out there you need to meet and dance with. Whether you plan on marrying any of them or not."

Zelda nodded, even though she was not too pleased with the idea of it. "And _you_," Impa continued, indicating Link, "…we've got a lot of work to do if _you're _going to be the next king of Hyrule." This made the young man turn white again. Impa smirked.

"That's right. You better believe it; because that's the road you're heading to now."

Zelda moved a strand of her long hair back behind her. She knew what she had to do now. As she was about to leave, Impa took a hold of her arm. "Princess," she whispered, "…I know he's hard to resist when it comes to your eyes…but, does your heart feel the same?" With a soft smile, Zelda answered her, "My heart feels three times more to whatever my eyes feel."

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"Don't worry, Impa. I know."

With that, Zelda moved forward, and found herself back in the dining room, now filled with many elegant people. She gulped at the sight of them, slowly walking up to a man and tapping his shoulder. It wasn't exactly the most polite and ladylike way of getting someone's attention, but it was all she could think of at the time.

He turned around. Even though she had no idea who he was, the princess swore that she had seen him before. Especially those eyes of his. "Good evening," she introduced, "I am Princess Zelda. And you would be…?"

"I am Gain of…Gerudo Valley."

_Gerudo Valley…? _Zelda wondered, _Wasn't…? No, it couldn't be._

Suddenly, things were quiet, until Gain spoke up. "Would you…like to dance, Princess?"

"Yes," she answered plainly as he took her hand for a waltz. The stranger Gain was a very elegant dancer, as he appeared to be another comely, dark skinned noble. But the depth of his eyes sent shivers down Zelda's spine. He decided to engage in a conversation with her.

"What are your political intentions for Hyrule when you become queen, my lady?"

"Uh…I haven't really thought about it yet."

"Oh, has something else been keeping you occupied?"

Zelda didn't like the tone in his voice just then. It sounded as if he knew more than what he was leading on. "No," she replied coldly, "Not at all."

His smirk was sneaky and deceiving. "I'm sure you'll make a wonderful queen," Gain told her. "And I'm sure your king will be very lucky to have you and the child."

Instantaneously, Zelda pulled away from him. "Excuse me?" she said, "How would you…?"

"Oh, I know, bitch. I know."

Her eyes widened, not believing what they were seeing.

"No...It can't be..." she proclaimed in a harsh whisper, a bit too loud, drawing some attention, "The Triforce sealed you away! You…No!" His grin widened incredibly.

"IMPA!"

Zelda ran trying to find her aunt. He had released of her rather effortlessly, causing more a split second, Impa was to her. "What's wrong?" she asked her, seeing the fear in her niece's eyes. "It's-It's him! It's him! Oh my goddesses, it's HIM!" Zelda kept yelling frantically.

"Who?"

"Ganondorf!"

Impa gave Zelda a puzzled look. Then, she erupted in eloquent laughter, placing a light hand on her chest. "Excuse me? Don't you think our guards would notice if _Ganondorf_ walked through the doors of this castle, Zelda?" Out of fear and anger, Zelda stomped her foot. "That's the point! It's him but it's not him. He's in disguise, Impa! He's right over there!" Zelda stated, and then pointed to the man who called himself Gain.

"Stay right here," Impa said, and then went off to speak with him. Zelda watched her walk into the next room and the movement of their lips as the two spoke. To her surprise, Impa came back looking as if things were as normal as usual. In fact, she even brought Gain along with her.

"Zelda…" Impa began, as if she were going to give her a lecture, "This is Gain, a politician in Gerudo Valley." Zelda looked at him and shivered. "I don't understand what happened," he began. "She saw me and started yelling this nonsense that I was someone named Ganondorf."

"Zelda, I think you need to give an apology."

"_Excuse me?"_

"I am very sorry for the inconvenience, madam," Gain said. "Zelda? Well?" Impa waited for a request for forgiveness. However, the princess only gave him a disgusted look and spat on his face.

"Zelda!"

But it was too late. She already started running in the other direction. _I need to find Link, _she thought, _We're in big trouble. _She found him with a group of giggly, flirtatious maidens, showing off. She didn't have time to be angry at him now. There was a major crisis at risk. Briskly, she pulled him away from the now disappointed girls and took him aside.

"Link," she began, not letting him speak, "…He's here."

"Who's here?"

"_HE_ is! He as in him! HIM!"

"Who?" Link kept insisting, becoming confused from his panicking girlfriend.

"Ganondorf!" She whispered loudly.

"What?"

At the corner, she pointed to where he was conversing with Impa. Link's eyebrow rose in confusion, looking at Zelda as if she were hallucinating.

"That doesn't look like Ganondorf."

"He's probably in disguise. He went by Gain and he knew about my baby! It's him, I know it is. I could see it in his eyes." Link stared a little longer, until Gain caught a glimpse of him, and jumped back. "There is no possible way that could be him," Link said, "How did he get out?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Zelda told him, "and Impa doesn't believe me so he's got everyone fooled. He's after something. That's why he's here tonight."

"What are _we_ suppose to do?" Link asked, and Zelda replied that she didn't know. "If he messes with this baby I'll kill him with my bare hands," she said with all seriousness, placing her palms on her stomach. Link took her in his arms and held her in a close embrace. She hugged him back tightly.

He was back. Already, he was back.

For the rest of the night, from a distance, Zelda kept her eye on Gain. She didn't trust him the least bit. She rejected any offers to dance and stayed pinned to Link's side, squeezing his hand as if it were a matter of life or death. In this case, to her, it might have been. _He's trying to act so kind and innocent…and the scoundrel knows I'm on to him, too. He's going to try and pull something tonight. I can sense it. _

Suddenly, the music stopped. Impa made her way through the center with a pleasant look on her face. The room became silent. _What is she doing? _was the thought that rang through Zelda's mind as her aunt cleared her throat to begin a speech.

"Welcome, all gentlemen and maidens of Hyrule and of other residence. I thank you all for coming to my niece's, our own Princess Zelda's, ball. She has already chosen her king, a friend since youth, and I apologize for all the men here that wanted a chance for her hand," Impa began, and indicated her niece and her fiancé for admiration from the guests, "…Now, we have a special guest today who has just joined the political party of Gerudo Valley. Since there is only one male born there per one hundred years, this makes him the only man on the political party among ALL women! He would like to make a very important speech. His name is Sir Gain."

Zelda scowled as Gain made his way through the center. A smirk spread on his lips towards the foul-faced princess before beginning.

"I've always admired Hyrule…its people, the market place, and its lovely fields. It has been my dream to have the chance to rule Hyrule someday, and be even more than that…"

That's when everything erupted into a complete pandemonium.

He reached for his face and seemed to peal off his skin, causing shouts to erupt from the room. It revealed his face. The familiar face of a tyrant named Ganondorf. The icy green flesh of his skin was overwhelmingly familiar, as was the sharps curves of his chin, and the coarse red hair on his scalp. With the snap of his fingers, every door was closed and locked, and the undead rose and stood in watch. Panic erupted, screams of terror filling the castle, but Ganondorf hushed them.

Even Impa was astounded, but was too afraid to make a move.

"I could've had the world!" the madman exclaimed, banging his foot to the ground, which caused the whole room to shake. "The Golden Power could have been mine! But then, _this kid_ came along and ruined everything with his little trollop!" He pointed his finger to Link and Zelda, and began to walk towards them, but stopped halfway there. Ganondorf smirked at them.

"Thought you got rid of me, huh?" he grinned, "Thought you saved your precious Hyrule! Well, I found a way out. I'm here now and this is my revenge. My revenge for the power and glory that you took from me! And now, _I_ am the king! I have claims to this castle! And pretty soon, this world will belong to _me_."

"We stopped you once, Ganondorf, and we'll do it again!" Link yelled out to him, which caused a chuckle from the sinister man's mouth. "Little Link…no wonder you possessed the force of courage. But, courage isn't enough…" Suddenly, from his vest he pulled out a tiny bottle.

"I have a little wedding gift for you, Princess." He then opened the bottle and dozens of poes took over the castle. Everyone ran in many different directions, trying to avoid the deadly ghosts as Ganondorf laughed triumphantly, his deep, masculine voice loud and overpowering. Impa grabbed Zelda's hand, then Link's, and led them off.

"I told you!" Zelda yelled, "I told you!" But, Impa ignored her as the three ran from the attacking poes. "Where are you taking us?" Link asked.

"I need to find some magic," she briefly explained, "He's going to take over Hyrule!" However, when they made it to her room of potions, an undead, a mummified zombie, stood right in front of the door. It jumped on Link and began to suck on his energy. Reaching behind him, Link grabbed hold his sword, and pierced its side as Impa took her key and opened the door. She began to rummage through all her bottles of magic and pulled a blue one out.

"What's that?" Zelda asked.

"I was hoping that I never had to use it," Impa began, "But I feel as if I must. I need more time to figure out a plan…"

"Impa, what are you doing?"

"We can't stay in this time, you two," she explained, "This potion will freeze this time period as we are sent to a different one. However, it will only last for a limited amount of time."

Link stepped up, "What are you saying? We are going to be reborn?" Impa nodded, "Exactly."

"Won't we remember anything?" Zelda asked, now terrified of the idea. Sadly, Impa shook her head, placing her palm of the scared princess's shoulder. "The ones who are born again will not." "And what about you?" Zelda asked her again, "Will you…be born again?" Impa responded, "The spell only works on the youth. And you two are considered to still be in your youth. You will both be born again as infants in this future world of another dimension. To make this effective, we must leave now. Are you ready?"

"So, we'll be in a whole other time," Zelda concluded.

"In a whole different world," adde Link.

"And we will not remember one another," Zelda stated.

"I will come get you when the time has come," Impa finished. She grabbed a large book with her as well. It was then when she opened the bottle, and the magic engulfed the entire room...

Impa awoke and found herself by a tree. Nothing was the way she remembered it to be. There were these items riding by full of people with odd looking wheels that went faster than any horse could ever ride. Women exposed their bodies with tiny skirts and little tops. This world and time was not as quiet and peaceful as hers.

She looked down and saw two little babies resting in her arms. She gasped at the sight of them. _Link… Zelda…_ They were tiny little things with curved ears instead of pointy ones. She felt her own ears as well–curved and short. Instantly, she stood up as she wondered what to do with the children. "I can't raise them…" she said to herself, "and they must not know about any of this until I can find a way to fix it." Suddenly, an idea came to her mind. Impa looked around at all the many strange looking homes there were. She went and left the infant Link on the doorstep to one of them. She knocked loudly at the door then hid with Zelda in her arms. She watched a woman answer the door who was shocked to see the child laying there. Immediately, she brought the infant in her home.

Impa did the same for Zelda a few blocks away.

_I hope this will work, _she thought to herself, _and I pray that their love will bring them together again, even though they won't remember a thing of what had happened. _For now, she was trapped in this future. A strange future at that. She would have to find a place to live and get accustomed to the different way of life.

But, sooner or later time would run out. And the clock was ticking even now…

1…2…3…

**The Influx**


	2. The Beginning

**17 Years Later…**

**Part One:**

**The Beginning**

"Luke…Luke, honey…WAKE UP!"

Luke tossed and turned in his bed, ignoring his adoptive mother's wake-up call. Mrs. Archer grunted as she tried again. This time she smacked his shoulder. "Luke, get up! You'll be late for school. You have a big test today." Moaning, Luke opened his sky blue eyes. He yawned, and then sat up with messy blond hair. "Thanks, Mom," he replied, "…I think." She smirked at him. "Oh. You _think_, huh?" she commented, "Well, maybe you'll be more sure when you finally get out of bed and get dressed. Your little girlfriends may enjoy seeing you half naked, but no one in _this_ house does." With saying that, she left his room to let him change.

Luke sighed. It was going to be just another one of those days again. School and more school. He got out of bed and stretched for a few minutes. Then, he picked up a pair of weights and did a few bicep curls and triceps extensions before he got dressed and headed for the ever-dreaded school. He combed his hair and on his head he put on a backwards red cap. Then, the usual. A muscle shirt, loose faded blue jeans, and one small loop earring.

He grabbed his backpack and headed downstairs. His mother, sister, and father were at the kitchen table, eating a breakfast of pancakes and sausage, which Luke referred to as cholesterol on a plate. "Luke, dear, are you going to eat anything?" Mrs. Archer asked him. Luke shook his head. "Not today," he replied, and then patted his flat, hard stomach, "I'm on a diet." Mrs. Archer only rolled her eyes at him. His fifteen year old sister sister Aryll laughed. Mr. Archer looked up from his newspaper and grinned. "Plan on bringing us home a couple of _A's_ today, son?" he asked. Luke made an awkward face. "If I find any I will."

"I mean your own."

"I've got to run, Dad. I'll be late for homeroom."

Trying to avoid the subject of good grades, Luke ran off to school. It was a Monday morning and he absolutely hated Mondays. It always meant that there was a whole week ahead of him. And here he was, stuck in the brutal world of high school. Well, maybe not _so_ brutal. He was, in fact, in the "in" crowd and managed around a B average. He was admired by all students–freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors–and almost no one had ever a bad thought in their heads about _the_ popular Luke Archer.

****************************************************************************

"Gosh, I hate that Luke Archer. He always thinks he's so perfect and that everyone loves him!"

"Uh…Alice? If you haven't noticed, everyone _does _love him."

Alice Elms and her best friend, Lila, were standing by their lockers, looking out at the crowd of boys that were across the hall in plain view. Among them was the subject of their discussion: Luke Archer. Alice looked at Lila and frowned. "Why? Do _you _love him?" she asked her.

"If he'd let me."

Alice rolled her eyes. "He's no better than you, me, or anyone else in this school," she stated. "That jerk is just so full of himself."

"But it doesn't make him any less gorgeous," Lila responded.

"Whatever."

Alice looked into the mirror she had in her locker and put her long, golden blond hair in a pony tail. "How do I look today?" she asked Lila, who answered, "Like a nun. As usual." Alice sighed. "Let's go. We'll be late for class." As they began to walk past the crowd of boys, Luke caught sight of the two, quite pretty girls. He smirked, knowing how a particular blond named Alice Elms felt about him. Holding back a laugh, he called out to her.

"Hey, Alice!"

Instantly, she stopped, and looked at him, rather nervous. "Yes?" she answered.

"Do you want to go to the school dance with me?"

Not only Alice was shocked by the question, but so were Luke's male friends. "Really?" she asked in an almost hopeful way.

"No!"

Then, everyone began to laugh, except Alice and Lila, of course. Disappointed and angry, Alice stormed off into homeroom.

Across the hall from her, Luke couldn't stop smirking at his own wit. He enjoyed getting on the innocent girl's nerves. _She'd actually be cute if she stopped dressing like an old woman_, he thought. With her long skirts, thick sweaters, and a plain hairstyle Alice wasn't exactly considered _à la mode_, or, in English, trendy. However, her face was a work of art. Her heavenly blue eyes made the room sparkle, the shape and texture of her lips were almost perfect, and the color of her skin was a soft, creamy peach. It were almost as if he had seen that glow in her face somewhere before.

_How could I have been so stupid? _Alice continued to think to herself, _…there isn't even going to be a school dance! I can't believe I always let him get the best of me. _Alice kept her eye on the clock as she waited for the bell to ring for first period. _I can't wait until this day is over. _Unfortunately, though, there were many more days to come.

****************************************************************

Here he was. Calculus. Luke was so terrible at math that it wasn't even funny. The only reason he took this class was to please his parents. He managed to pull off a C, barely, with a great deal of help from tutors. And today was the semester test. Luke began to bite his nails, but then stopped when he could taste the clear polish of his manicured fingers. He greatly feared failing this test and even this class.

"Take out your pencils and put everything else under your desks," his teacher, Mr. Collins, instructed them. He then began to pass out the exams. When Luke received his, he looked over it and widened his eyes. Did he even know this stuff? It seemed like a foreign language to him. Then, he looked over at the girl sitting beside him: Alice. Her paper was lying on her desk and she seemed to be pretty confident. Luke looked back at his own paper and bit his lower lip. _Great…_

"You may begin."

After that statement came a sound of pages turning and pencils speedily writing. Taking his time, Luke turned the page and stared at the work in front of him. His mind was blank. _I can't believe this, _he thought, placing his forehead on the palm of his hand, _…I spent forever studying and now I can't even remember what all these signs and symbols mean. _His eyes meandered off to Alice, who was writing as if her life depended on it; as if calculus was the simplest thing in the world. Thus, an idea popped into his head. He wasn't going to go with it at first. But he became desperate.

_Just a few answers, _he , he moved his eyes to her exam. Slowly picking up his pencil, he copied down her first answer, and then her second. Then, unexpectedly, Alice looked at him from the corner of her eye. She dropped her pencil and gave him a revolting glare. "Oh my gosh!" she shouted, "You're copying my answers!" Mr. Collins looked up from his desk, stunned. Luke gave her a weird look. "What are you talking about?" he asked, as if he had no idea of what she was saying. That caused Alice to break out screaming.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!" she yelled, getting up from her desk, "YOU ARE SUCH A ROTTEN CHEATER! YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE SOOO PERFECT AND IT'S IMPECCABLY ALRIGHT TO CHEAT OFF LITTLE ME BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU'RE SOME HOT BIG SHOT WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD KISSING YOUR FEET!!!"

Frowning, Mr. Collins walked over to the two and took both of their tests. "That's enough," he ordered, "The both of you need to go to the main office immediately." Luke and Alice's eyes widened, Luke rising from his seat as well.

"What?" the blondes exclaimed in unison.

"You heard me," the teacher replied, "and I'll expect to be seeing you after school as well. Now, go!" Alice stormed out in a very enraged and distressed manner. Luke, more calmly, followed her out.

****************************************************************

It was three: thirty and school was out. All students were home now except for two. Alice and Luke sat in Mr. Collins's room as they waited for an assignment. "The two of you," he began, "are going to finish this test without any cheating, yelling, screaming, or badmouthing. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mr. Collins," Alice answered.

"Yeah," was Luke's reply.

The two were sitting at opposite ends of the room as he gave them another fresh exam. He then went back to his desk and watched them carefully. "You have a full hour," he confirmed. Alice turned the page and began working. With a sigh, Luke did the same and once again looked over the page. At that point, he didn't care whether or not he passed it or failed. He wasn't stressing himself out to do very well to please his parents and perhaps himself. He was just going to try and see what happened from there. With that attitude, his mind went into a clear focus and he actually knew what he was doing as he started to work.

Before he knew it, the hour flew by and he was finished. With ease, he stood up to hand Mr. Collins his test. He accepted it, skimmed it over, and then looked at Luke as he lowered his glasses. "Pretty good," he complemented, "What I don't understand is why you would look off Miss Elms's paper when it seems to me you look like you know what you're doing."

"Go home, Luke. And as I told Alice before she left, I hope another problem like this doesn't arise," he told him, and Luke nodded. With that, the boy left the classroom. He couldn't help but feel relieved as he walked down the halls. _Well, at least it can't get any worse, _he thought… That is, until he walked outside of the school building and found himself face to face with an exasperated Alice.

"How long have you been waiting here?" he asked her, quite flabbergasted at seeing her there. However, she ignored his question. "Do you know why I'm _really _angry, Luke?" she began, "It's not because you cheated, that we created a scene, or that I had to stay after school for detention for the first time in my entire life. It's because of the way you think. Of life, of yourself. I may not be too pretty or not have the nicest clothes, but I'm fine with that. I see you walking around with your French cologne and Gucci watch and that STILL isn't enough for you!"

Luke didn't know what to tell her. He was about to say that he in fact thought she was pretty, but it didn't seem like the right time for that. He was going to answer, but Alice continued. "It must be nice having everyone love you and wanting to be your friend. And I guess it must feel pretty damn GREAT to bother and beleaguer other people who aren't as fortunate as you, huh?"

Now she was getting steamed up. "Alice–"

"Shut up!" she told him, "Because I really don't care. You could say you're sorry or give me some lame excuse about why you are the way you are. But it won't change anything. Now, I have to go home." With saying those last words, she walked away from him. As he watched her figure disappear into the horizon, Luke felt very upset. However, he didn't know whether he was upset at her, or towards himself. As much as he thought that Alice was a nerd and his strange fascination with picking on her, a part of him seemed to like her, be fixated on her. Oddly, something was attracting him to her. It was inevitable.

*************************************************************************

It was only a matter of time until the eighteenth anniversary of the journey between the two portals was to arrive. The first of February. As the years went by and Impa thought of a solution, she thought that perhaps this spell wasn't such a good idea. Sure, it did pause time in the past of Hyrule for a number of years, but it still didn't solve the problem. What was to happen next? However, she was certain that, if things would have turned out differently, all three of them would have ended up being prisoners to Ganondorf or even dead. Impa thought hard about it over the last eighteen years as she grew old. Old and tired. On February first, the portal would once again open, and that would mean the end of the spell. She knew for certain what she had to do now. It was currently in the middle of January, three weeks away from beginning of the next month. Link and Zelda were somewhere about the city. The woman wondered if the two had even met each other yet.

Impa had no idea where they were or the kind of people they turned out to be. But, she knew for a fact that they were still alive. She could sense it. Over the years, she constantly looked for answers, solutions, and tried to think up ideas. The book she had brought with her was the _Book of Hylian Legends, Myths, and Secrets. _It was the imperial book of the royal Hylian family. Using that, she found the information she needed to start their adventure right, and hopefully, Link and Zelda would be able to stop Ganondorf from taking over the rest of their world as well.

There was also something Impa had found out about the legend. Something that even stunned her as well. _I hope I'll be able to find them, _she repeatedly thought, _I still have enough magic to regain some of their memory, but not all of it. _She was aware of what she was to do. Planning time was over. It was now time to put the game plan into action.

She started with trying to think of where Link and Zelda would most likely be at. The woman had built a small house in the woods a bit off from the city and worked as a librarian. "If they are still where I had last left them, then they'd probably be attending their last year of the local high school," she thought aloud. In spite of this, she did not know how she was going to find them in the school when there were over one-thousand students who attended.

Nothing would be as easy as it sounded. Impa would need to get a hold of year books and perhaps take on the role as a custodian to further get acquainted with them. But, how in the world would she find a year book? This made her weary. Maybe she shouldn't have held off that part for so long. Though, it did take a lot of time to carefully read the book of legends, draw conclusions, and prepare a strategy. On the other hand, if she didn't find them on time, the portal would close, leaving Ganondorf to destroy their kingdom and time as they would be left stuck in a place that wasn't their own. Impa had to be quick. Time was running out.

********************************************************************

Alice put her two thumbs on middle C before she started. Then, with a deep sigh, she began to gracefully play her piano. The movement of her fingers took over and the sound that was created from them was the most beautiful ever heard. Alice began to sing as she played. The high pitched voice that came from her throat sounded girly and harmonious. With music, she always felt jovial, as if no one could hurt her or make her feel bad about herself. She became one with herself. She was proud and strong, yet still a fragile, delicate young woman.

Though, a knock on her door ruined the harmony of it all.

"ALICE!" her mother banged, "WHAT DO YOU FEEL LIKE EATING TONIGHT?!"

With a grimace, she called back, "I'm not hungry!"

Without warning, Miss Elms opened the door anyway. "Is anything wrong?" she asked her, "For someone whose birthday is coming up, you look pretty blue."

Alice sighed, and then stood up. "This year isn't the same," she told her, "…We aren't going to do anything special. I still have to go to school like it was every other day." Miss Elms tried to smile at her daughter. "But you'll be eighteen, Alice. You can't skip your last school birthday for some silly trip," she explained. "But don't worry. I'll take you to the mall first thing and you can buy anything you want!"

"Really?"

"Except books. You read _way_ too much! It wouldn't do you any bad if you picked out some cute outfits instead," she commented, "…actually, let's go right now! Then you'll have something special to wear on your birthday!" Without letting Alice speak, she grabbed her arms and led her out of her room, down the stairs, out the house, and to the car.

School on Monday morning was the usual for Luke. He showed his new sneakers off to his friends, that was about it. However, there was one certain element that wasn't as usual as always. Besides his own, there was a different crowd that morning. It was the shock and amazement of the school. No one could believe what they saw because it was about _who_ they saw. Trying to get a glimpse of what all the commotion was about, Luke walked over to locker 237…Alice's locker.

"Wow! You look great!"

"Those shoes are so cute!"

"I love your make-up! Those colors really go on you."

"You really have great legs. I'm surprised you covered them up for so long!"

Pushing through everyone, he saw what the ruckus was all about. _What the…?_ Alice didn't even look like she was even Alice anymore. The only way he could even recognize her was by the glow in her eyes and the brightness of her blond hair. She wore tight blue jeans, a pink sweater, spiked-high-heeled shoes, and carried a leather hand bag. Her hair was loosely curled, and on her lips she wore hot pink lipstick with a glossy coat. Alice smiled at Luke, but in more of a sly way instead of as if she was happy to see him.

"You look like a hooker," he told her.

Her cheeks became red and she gave him a hostile look. She was about to scream something back, but then remembered what Mr. Collins had warned her about. Instead, she took a calm, deep breath and replied, "Whatever."

It was then when Luke took her in his arms and kissed her in front of everyone.

Alice opened her eyes.

Upon seeing the surroundings of her room, she groaned. "Damn it!" the young girl cried, throwing her pillow on the ground. Yes, she had her clothes from the mall, not exactly the ones from her dream, for her mother could never afford for her daughter to get a real leather handbag, but it was still Sunday night. She looked at her clock and saw that it was only four in the morning. _Five more hours until school_, she thought to herself, _and then I'll show him…_ Even though she enjoyed her dream a great deal, the way it ended did give her the creeps...sort of.

************************************************************

Monday morning wasn't exactly as Alice had pictured it. Yes, she looked great. But no one really cared. Though, when Lila saw her, she squealed with excitement. "This is the first time I've ever seen the shape of your body!" she proclaimed, continuously looking up and up at her best friend's figure. "You look great! I never knew you had such a cute bubble butt." Forcing a smile and a light blush overtaking her cheeks, Alice replied a weak, "Thanks." Lila's grin turned to a worried frown. "What's wrong? You should be happy!"

"I'm going to be late for homeroom."

Ignoring her, Alice walked off to class. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Luke with his crowd of the rest of the jerks that went to this school. _Bastard! _She thought. _Gosh, I hate him! That good for nothing piece of_–

Her thoughts were interrupted when she accidentally bumped into an older woman. "Oh, I'm sorry!" Alice apologized. "I really wasn't paying attention." However, the lady didn't reply, but only stared at the features of Alice's face as if she was trying to memorize them. Feeling awkward, Alice tried to leave. "Uh…yeah, goodbye then…" she said, but the woman wouldn't let her walk through.

"I can't believe it's you," she whispered with wet eyes, as if she were about to cry, "after all these years…"

Alice blinked, how body beginning to shake from the odd encounter. "Ma'am, I have no idea of what you are talking about, but I HAVE TO GO, THOUGH!" With saying that, she ran off into homeroom, as she left the woman watching, now a tear leaving her eye.

_She can run away from me…_Impa thought, _…but she can't run away from her destiny._

_*********************************************************************************_

That after noon Alice walked home with an eerie feeling. "Who in the world was that crazy woman?" she thought aloud. Her birthday would be this Friday, and already things were starting to become a little odd. It was bad enough that these shoes were impossible to walk in, but to top it all off, she had to have a weirdo following her to school. Maybe the lady was stalking her… Maybe she was a maniac or crazed killer. That thought alone made Alice shiver. Or…maybe she was even following her right now.

"Hey, Alice!"

Not expecting to hear her named being called, she jumped and panicked. Instantly, with her eyes closed, she back kicked the person behind her. Unfortunately, she regretted it after the fact. Opening her eyes, she turned around and gasped when she saw who she had knocked down. None other than Luke Archer.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, helping him up, "I didn't mean that. I thought you were someone else." Even though she knew it was wrong, a part of her felt very good about what she had just done. Scrunching his face, Luke handed her a book. "You dropped this in the hallway when you were running like a maniac," he told her. Grasping back the school book from him harshly, Alice frowned _That's because there's someone psycho following me around in there. _"Thanks," she replied, trying to avoid eye contact, but then looked up at him anyway. A fierce blush tinted her cheeks.

_Gosh, why does he have to be so cute? Too bad he's a jerk._

"You look…different," he commented, pausing for a moment as he was searching for the right word. Alice smiled halfway. "Er…thank you, I think. Is that all?"

"I guess so."

"Fine. Bye."

"See ya', Alice."

As Alice once again began to walk home, she had a very anomalous feeling. _Did I just have an almost normal conversation with Luke? _She thought, taken aback at the idea. Though, she only shrugged it off with her shoulders and soon found herself at the doorstep to her home. She took out her keys and opened the door. "Mom, I'm–"

Suddenly, her jaw flew open and all her books from her hands dropped to the floor.

There she was.

The woman.

The nutty lady she met at school.

Alice was at a loss for words. However, Miss Elms looked very gleeful as she clasped her hands together joyfully.. "Oh, Alice! I have great news for you!" she exclaimed, "This is Pamela, your biological mother's sister, your _aunt_."

Still, Alice didn't speak a word, too overcome by shock.

"Alice, honey, are you okay?" Miss Elms asked. However, Alice could only scream in response. It lasted quite a while, too, until Miss Elms had to go to her daughter and cover her mouth. "Perhaps you'd like to take a walk with your niece," she told Pamela, "It might knock some sense into her." Smiling, the woman nodded. Pulling her mother's hand away from her mouth, Alice argued with her. "No way! I am not going ANYWHERE with that NUTBAG!"

"See you in a little bit, Alice."

Now, here she was. Walking along the sidewalks with a crazy woman she didn't even know. For a while, they walked without saying a single word. Alice looked over at her a couple of times. _She doesn't look like my aunt_, she thought. _There's just no way. I'll probably be killed by the time the night is over._ Finally, Alice asked, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

They didn't stop until they were at a local, empty park area. They stood by a tree, and Alice waited as the woman tried to look for the right words to tell her niece.

"Alice," she began, feeling weird calling her by that name, "there is something you should know, before it's too late." Puzzled, the young girl asked, "What? What is it?" At first, she didn't answer her with words. Instead, she turned her face to the tree. With astonishment, Alice watched as Pamela slowly moved her hand as it went through the tree, like magic, and then swiftly pulled it out. The younger woman gasped.

"How did you–What did you–?" she tried to ask, but was at a loss for words, "Are you some kind of witch or gypsy?" Pamela chuckled. "Of course not," she replied, "Then that would mean you are. For, you can do this as well." With wide eyes, Alice reached her hand to the tree. When she was able to get it through, she pulled it back so fast that she nearly fell down.

She was speechless.

"The portal is not fully opened yet," she explained to Alice, "Not until the eighteenth anniversary on Friday." This was all too crazy for the young girl. "_Friday_?" she repeated, "As in my birthday?" Pamela nodded. "I don't get it," Alice said, "What portal is this? What's going on?"

"I can't tell you everything yet," she explained, "that is, until you find _him_, too."

"Who?"

"The one who will be able to stick a part of himself inside. The one who shares your birthday. The man you were born with."

"I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Alice yelled, "I need to know more!"

However, her response was plain and simple. "Not until you find him."

The following day, Alice was as anxious as ever. At her locker, she was shaking frantically. _Does anyone at this school have the same birth date as me? _She wondered. When Lila approached her, she looked at her friend as if she were insane. "You look like you're having a seizure," she told Alice. Ignoring the smart comment, she asked Lila the question she figured she'd probably be asking for the rest of the day. "I need to know whose birthday it is this Friday."

"Uh, duh, Alice. It's _yours_."

"I mean, who else?' she asked again. Lila only shrugged her shoulders. "Beats me," she replied. Alice sighed as she slammed her locker shut. "What's with you lately?" Lila asked her, raising an eyebrow, "You've been acting really weird."

"I can't tell you."

"Why?"

"Because _I_ don't even know yet."

This confused Lila even more than she already was. "Now, if you'll excuse me," Alice said as she began to walk away, "I need to ask a couple of guys when their birthdays are." Smiling, Lila answered, "Okay. Try not to miss the first bell."

Oddly, the bell rang.

***************************************************************

By the end of calculus, Luke couldn't take his eyes off of Alice. _Why is she so fidgety? _he marveled, _She is such a freak. _The girl wouldn't stop swaying her foot, chattering her teeth, or tapping her fingers on her desk. Feeling his stare, she turned her head and gave him a dirty look. Right away, he moved his gaze from Alice to the board, where Mr. Collins was discussing their homework for the night.

"Pages 334 and 335, numbers five through twenty," he assigned them. A few seconds after saying that, the bell rang. Alice jumped from her desk and ran out the door. Luke left after her, wondering why she was acting so strange. Her destination was to the office before the start of her next class. Alice caught sight of the secretary and smiled. "Miss Somer!" she proclaimed happily, a painful forced smile curved on her lips. The moderately young woman smiled at the student. "Hello, Alice? What are you doing here?"

"I need a favor," she answered. Miss Somer gave her a look. "What kind of a favor?" she asked her. With a gulp, Alice finished, "Can you find out whose birthday is on February first that goes to this school? I know you can." Hesitating, Miss Somer shook her hand. "I really can't do that for you, Miss Elms," she replied, "…that's private information." Alice tried again. "Yes, but that's _my_ birthday, too! And I want to celebrate it with the person with the same date." Briefly glancing around the empty office, Miss Somer sighed. "Alright," she finally agreed, "but this only between you and me." Satisfied, she nodded as the secretary began typing on the computer before her. A second later, she smiled before answering her.

"Oh, that's a nice surprise for you! Try guessing who it could be."

"Please just tell me. I'm going to be late."

Chuckling, she finally answered, "Okay… It's Luke! Luke Archer? Do you know him?"

Hoping she heard her wrong, Alice tried to clear her ears with her pinky. "Um…could you repeat that? I don't think I heard you right."

"Luke Archer, Miss Elms. Now, head to class."

As if she was walking on a cloud, Alice left the office. _No way. No way. NO POSSIBLE WAY! _Because she wasn't paying attention to where she was going (pr perhaps because of destiny), she ended up bumping into the man of the hour himself. When she looked up at him, Alice began screaming as if she was being attacked. Being in an awkward position, Luke attempted to walk away from her, but she regained control of herself and grabbed his arm.

"You…You were found on a doorstep on February first, weren't you?" she asked him, "WEREN'T YOU?!!!" Nervously, he nodded. Then, Alice slammed her foot on the ground and cursed. "Fuck! I HATE MY LIFE!!!!"

"Alice, shut up! What the hell is your problem?"

"Don't talk to me you good for nothing–"

"Starting this again, I see."

The voice of Mr. Collins echoed through the hallway as he approached the bickering students. "I could hear you all the way across the hall! I suppose you like detentions a great deal, so I'll do you the favor of giving you one today after school. See you then."

Luke and Alice could only stare at one another blankly.

****************************************************

Mr. Collins's room seemed fairly empty after class, except for the usual two who were now getting in the habit of finding themselves in there: Alice and Luke. Mr. Collins couldn't help but smirk at the sight of the both of them sitting, once again, at the opposite ends of the room.

"Both of you need to stop fighting or, I guarantee, you will end up becoming suspended. If you two have a problem I suggest you start working it out after school." They were silent, not responding. Shaking his head, the teacher sighed. "Now, I have a short meeting I need to attend. I'll be back in a little while. Until then, I expect you two to behave. There is a teacher right across the hall if something goes wrong."

For several minutes after Collins walked out the door, silence took over. Alice tapped her fingers on her desk, figuring out what she was about to do next. Soon after, she took out a piece of notebook paper and a pencil from her backpack. Quickly, she wrote a sloppy note and folded it into a airplane. With perfect aiming, she threw it to Luke, who was hit in the forehead with it. The strike had actually woken him up from nearly falling asleep. A he looked at the paper airplane that was lying on the floor, he then looked at Alice, who gave him a gesture that seemed to say, "Pick it up, you idiot." And he did. He opened the note and began to read.

_Sorry about earlier. Meet me after detention. I have to show you something important. _

_~Alice_

After reading it, Luke looked over at the girl who was staring frantically at him. He raised his dark blonde eyebrows and nodded at her. That gesture alone gave her a total relieved feeling throughout her body. But, it also seemed to make detention longer than it already was. She looked up at the clock, noticing it was four o'clocl. _Only a half hour left, _she thought, _and then I can finally figure out what's going on. _

As luck would have it, it was right after that very thought when Mr. Collins had opened the door and entered the classroom. "Okay, go home," he ordered them, "Turns out the meeting is a lot longer than I would have guessed." Instantly, Alice stood up as Luke took his time. "Thank you, Mr. Collins!" she exclaimed enthusiastically, "And, I promise; I will never cause a scene like that to arise ever again!"

"Yeah, thanks Mr. C."

"Please just leave already," the teacher begged, "You guys are giving me a headache." And so Luke followed Alice out of the building, walking briskly by her side as she seemed to be marching towards the park. "What's this about?" he asked her. "To tell you the truth," Alice explained, "I really don't know."

She grabbed his hand and started running in the chilly late January cold. "Where are we going?!" Luke called out to her, hardly able to breathe. But, the only thing she told him was, "Shut up!"

They had at last made it to the tree Pamela had shown Alice. "Look," she told Luke, then stuck her hand in the tree, pulling her palm back out swiftly. As his eyes widened and skin turned pale, he was bewildered and petrified simultaneously. "How did you do that?!" he yelled. In response, she grabbed his hand. "You can do it too, if I'm correct." She performed the same operation with his hand, causing Luke to jump back and force Alice to release his grip on him.

"That does NOT feel like a tree," he commented.

"That's because it isn't," Alice said, "…my aunt told me it was some kind of realm or portal." Just as he was going to reply to her statement, she grabbed his hand once again. "C'mon, I have to show you to her!"

"Wha–?"

Off she went, taking Luke home with her. After a matter of minutes, they made it to her door step. Fumbling with her keys, she rushed to open her door. When she did, Alice dropped her backpack immediately.

"MOM! I'M HOME! WHERE'S AUNT PAMELA?!!!"

"SHE'S IN THE KITCHEN!!!"

"OKAY! THANKS!!!"

Hearing the commotion, Pamela stormed into the room and gasped when she saw the boy Alice had brought home with her. "You found each other!" she exclaimed, "Alice, tell your mother I'm taking you for a ride."

"MOM! AUNT PAMELA IS TAKING US SOMEWHERE!!!" Alice screeched.

"OKAY, HONEY! BE HOME ON TIME FOR DINNER!"

"ALRIGHT!"

Pamela and Luke both gave her a puzzled look, but soon stopped as the white-haired woman took their hands and brought them out to her car. "Where are we going?" Alice asked. "To my cottage," Pamela replied, then asked the boy in the backseat by Alice, "What is your name?"

"Er…Luke," he replied. She smiled when she heard him speak. "My…None of your voices have changed." However, the two did not know what she was talking about.

************************************************

The inside of Pamela's cottage was dark and shabby. There weren't very many decorations or furniture, except for two couches. "Have a seat," she ordered the young adults, "Trust me… You are going to need it."

They sat down on a sofa by a small coffee table. Pamela went into another room, and then returned with a large, old book in her hands. Upon sitting down beside them, she took a deep breath and laid the book down on the table. "I've got a lot of things that need to be said," she began, "And, I guess I first must start out with a story that you both need to hear." Clearing her throat, the woman began.

"Long ago, in another world and another time, there were three goddesses. They were named Din, Nayru, and Farore. Nayru created the sky. Din created deserts. And Farore created the grass and soil. All three merged together to create the Golden Power, the Triforce. Then, the people of the kingdom of Hyrule created the Temple of Time to protect the Triforce so the scoundrels of the world could not possess it. Each part of the Triforce was a goddess, and they each symbolized an entity. Din was the goddess of power. Nayru was the goddess of wisdom. And Farore was the goddess of courage.

"Many thousand years later, a rogue named Ganondorf was born to Gerudo Valley. In this particular place, only one man is born per one-hundred years. This man meant trouble for not only Hyrule, but for the rest of the world as well. He dreamed of possessing not only the world, but the Triforce itself. With it, he would be able to have ultimate control over anything and everything.

"At this time, there was a beautiful princess of Hyrule named Zelda. She was only a child when Ganondorf tried to convince the royalty of Hyrule of how wonderful he was. He thought his charms would get him on Hyrule's good side.

"There was a young brave man who was Zelda's age. His name was Link, and his mission was to stop Ganondorf from taking over Hyrule and seizing the Triforce. He also the Hero of Time, because he was able to pull out the Master Sword. This sword was the legendary blade that would cast out evil only if pulled out by the Hero of Time.

"This special sword was located in the Temple of Time, but the only way to get to it was by obtaining the Kokiri Emerald, Goron's Ruby, And Zora's Sapphire, and placing them on the altar. When he did, the Door of Time opened and there was the Master Sword. And by pulling it out, Link were able to travel forward in time to when he was seventeen, when Ganondorf had already taken over Hyrule. However, by placing the sword back in the Temple of Time, he was also able to go back in time as well. He needed to stop Ganondorf in the future so both future and past could be saved.

"However, Linhek wasn't able to do a thing until you acquired the six medallions from the six sages. Zelda was seventh sage that would watch over the Triforce itself! Helping Link at various parts of your journey was a mysterious man named Sheik of the people known as the Skeikahs. Though, after Link was able to get hold of those six medallions, it was revealed to him that Shiek was actually Princess Zelda disguised as him. After she revealed herself , Ganondorf captured her inside a crystal and toke her back to his castle, knowing very well that Link was sure to follow him. Upon arriving there, the six sages opened the seal to his castle, and after he entered, Link went into six different doors that released the sages. Once they were finally free, the final barrier that led to Ganondorf was opened.

"It is then when Link learned some other incredible news. His, Zelda's, and Ganondorf's hands each glowed a piece of the Triforce. Zelda, had wisdom. Link possessed courage, and Ganondorf obtained power.

"A deadly battle ensued, and Link barely made it as he finished Ganondorf off. A large explosion took place, and the castle began to collapse. Led by Zelda, the two of them made it just on time as the castle collapsed. But, their troubles did not cease there. Ganondorf used the last of his power to become Ganon, being even deadlier than before. As Zelda held him down, Link gave him one final blow with the powerful Master Sword to seal Ganon away in the Evil Realm by six sages.

"Ganondorf promised his revenge one day, cursing them all. Though, things could not remain the way they were. Zelda played the song of her lullaby on the Ocarina of Time, a very powerful instrument, to send them back to their childhood. Sadly, she announced the they would have to say a final goodbye to each other.

"Link placed the sword back in the Temple of Time and the doorway closed. Things were back to the way they should have been. As the years went by Link continued on to go on his own adventures. Zelda, you stayed at the castle. I always knew that you wanted so much more than that. Not being able to accept the fact that he would never see the princess again, Link came to visit her occasionally in his early teenaged years, and the visits became more frequent as the years went by. It wasn't long after until the both of them had fallen in love and formed a secret relationship. Yes, it was odd. But, perhaps it was destined to be. Every night Zelda would sneak out of the castle and to see him in the market place. He taught her how to get passed the guards and even how to fight And then…it happened. She was impregnated.

"It was absurd news at the castle, and Link had become her fiancé. It was on one fateful night at a royal ball where Zelda met a man named Gain, who claimed that he was a politician of Gerudo Valley. Right away, the princess could see through him. She insisted that he was the scoundrel Ganondorf, disguised as a gentlman. The foul man revealed himself at the end of the night and took over our castle.

"The princess had an aunt who resided with her in the castle. Her name was Impa, and she was one of the seven sages and a keeper of magic. She was aware of the trouble that arose and knew that if they were to stay, they would have surely been doomed. More time was need.

"Impa had a certain magic potion that caused that time period to freeze for exactly eighteen years as they would be sent to another world in another time. However, the side effects were that the ones who were under twenty years of age would be born again..."

This is where she paused in the telling of her tale, noticing the ample, glittering blue eyes of the two teenagers before her. Biting her lip, the older woman fixed her posture, inhaling deeply before continuing.

"I am Impa," she spoke simply. "Alice, you are Zelda. And Luke..." There was a pause as she stared the boy in the eye. "You are Link, the Hero of Time."

Their jaws dropped simultaneously at her confession, their eyes widening with every word she spoke. She didn't expect them to say a word, as she did not doubt that they believed her. When Alice touched that tree, she was willing to believe anything, even a tale as marvelous and extraordinary as their silence, Impa continued.

"When I opened the bottle, I found myself by the tree I had shown you yesterday, Zelda. I saw the both of you in my arms, only little babies. I had no idea of what to do with you. So, I stuck with my first instincts, which was to put you in front of a house and leave you there. This was the first day of February.

"Now, the eighteenth anniversary is approaching, and the portal is beginning to open again. This Friday, time in Hyrule will unfreeze and the portal will be completely opened. However, if you miss your chance to enter, you will be stuck here for the rest of your lives and Hyrule will be ill-fated under Ganondorf's control."

Luke spoke up. "Why should it matter to us now?" he asked, "We're here and Hyrule is somewhere else. Why can't we just start over here?" Impa shook her head at his concept. "If you miss your chance to leave when you were supposed to, all memory of you on this planet will be erased. Your family won't remember you. Your friends will not recognize you, and you will basically be nothing. This Friday, _everything_ will change."

Alice was about ready to burst into tears. Just the thought of leaving behind her mother was killing her inside. And, the idea of have an affair _and making_ a baby with Luke was WAY too much for her to handle. But, there was something else that was making her die with curiosity.

"If I'm pregnant," she began, scrunching her face in a sickening manner at voicing the atrocious word "…then where's my baby?"

Luke turned his neck and looked at the pretty blonde next to him, raising a peculiar brow.

Impa grinned. "I was hoping you were going to ask that," she said, "I'll be right back." Getting up, Impa left the room, leaving Alice, Princess Zelda, and Luke, Link: the Hero of Time, alone with each other.

"Do you believe her?" Luke asked. Alice nodded, "Yes. But it doesn't mean I'm too thrilled about it." Luke's reply was, "I think it's all too crazy to be true. But, after what I saw today, I'll believe anything." It was then when Impa came back with a small object in her hand. "This…" she began slowly, "is the child of Link and Zelda." She unclenched her palm to reveal a red gem. "Obviously, when you were born again, you could not be pregnant. But, that didn't mean that the baby was dead, either. The soul of your child lies in this gem." With wide eyes, Alice gazed at the jewel that lied on her aunt's hand.

"As I was studying this for the last eighteen years, I came upon another legend that surprised me as well," she stated. She went to her book and opened it to a designated page. She began reading. "_The heart of the Hero of Time with the heart of his beloved, when combined as one, will lead to many generations of heroes and heroines. The child with the heart of pure ruby red's glow and of six sides and angles, no more no less, will be the child who will age to become the next Hero of Time and follow in their parent's footsteps. This child will lead the world to many years of peace and tranquility._" She looked up from the book and grinned. "Take a look at this ruby! This is the heart of your child! 'Pure ruby's red glow and of six sides and angles.' Zelda, this child that you will give birth to will be the next Hero of Time!" she proclaimed, excited. Alice, on the other hand, was terrified of the idea. "I can't have a baby," she protested, "Especially if it's _Luke's _baby. I'm not ready."

"How in the world did _we_ fall in love?" Luke asked, looking sourly at Alice. "We hate each other!"

Alice nodded. "Yes, this is true."

Impa frowned at their statements. "You mean…Your love hasn't brought you together?" They just stood there, not saying a word. Impa bit her lower lip at this. "This isn't good," she said, "You two were destined to be."

"If you mean antagonists, then, yes, we were destined to be," Alice added. Impa shook her head at the two. "Well, you have no choice," she ordered, "You must go back this Friday. You must take this baby and you must work together, otherwise you're both doomed. And I have a plan for you to follow." She began:

"There is a place just a bit off of Hyrule called the Lon Lon Ranch, where we get our milk from. The owner of the ranch is named Talon. He lives there with his worker, Ingo, and his lovely daughter, Malon, who is about your age. I want the two of you to ask them if you could stay at their ranch as a means of shelter, since Ganondorf has taken over Hyrule. I'm sure they won't mind at all.

"Also, Ganondorf has probably sealed his castle off to everyone outside of him. But, there is always something that will open it up again. I'm positive the six sages won't be much help to you this time, but I think I know who might. There are three Great Fairies hidden in Lake Hylia, Death Mountain, and Gerudo Valley. Each one will give you a crystal. When used as one, they create an immense power of light that will allow the barrier to his castle to break open.

"You will as well be able to go to the Temple of Time in Hyrule and take the Master Sword again, Link, since Ganondorf has escaped and the doorway is once again opened. Nothing else but the Master Sword will help you defeat him again. You _must_ pull it out."

"Where are we supposed to know where all these places are?" Luke asked her. Impa reached into her book and pulled out an old piece of paper. "I have a map for you right here." Alice kept a firm look at Impa before she asked her question. "Are you…coming with us?"

With a sad sigh, she answered, "I can't, sweetheart. Since I wasn't reborn like the rest of you, it means I have grown old. It would mess up time. I must stay and die here." Alice hugged Impa as tears filled her eyes. Luke, on the other hand, was upset as well, his eyes glimmering with uncried tears. "So, we're on our own?" he asked.

"I'm afraid so."

But, that answer wasn't enough for him. His heart began to beat vehemently from the terror he was now experiencing. "How are we supposed to know what to do?" he asked her.

"I have just enough magic left in me to regain some of your memory," she explained, "But, 'tis _only_ memory that will be regained to you. Not feelings, emotions, or love. You will _feel_ the same about everything as you do now. On Friday, I will use the last of my magic over you, then, I will place the infant back in Zelda's body." Impa gave the princess a stern look. "Zelda, you _must_ be careful. You must remember that you will be carrying the next Hero of Time. You cannot lose this child!" Timorously, Alice nodded.

"The beginning of Friday morning, twelve A.M. is when the portal opens for the last time. Do NOT go to class. You will not be remembered. I'll expect you to meet me by the sacred tree thirty minutes before midnight. Am I clear?" Impa finished, and Luke and Alice nodded hastily. "Alright, then I will be taking you home now."

**************************************************************

The next night, Alice looked into her mirror, gazing at her reflection intensely.

_Me? A princess? _

For some reason, she loved the idea. Too bad she couldn't say the same for her fiancé, _Link. _She laughed when she remembered what Impa had called him: The Hero of Time. Alice knew that she only had one more night after this of living normally. Then her whole life would change. _I wonder how that world is like._ She was scared, confused, and excited all at the same time. She didn't know what was to come from this.

Then, she thought about her baby and the large impact it would have later on. _I never knew I was so important_, she thought, _I can't believe that this is all up to ME…and Link, of course. _She felt weird saying that name: Link. She had grown up calling him _Luke_ that suddenly identifying him in a different name felt very odd to her. And her… Princess Zelda of Hyrule? _Wow. _

She spent the night playing her piano again. She played for hours and hours until she went to bed. The whole day had gone by so quickly, and after tonight, she had until twelve midnight. Then, she would not exist in this world or have a family here. She would regain her memory of her real self. Not as Alice Elms, but as Princess Zelda of Hyrule.

She jumped into bed and closed her eyes, dreaming her last dream here on Earth.

**********************************************************************

Luke had trouble facing the truth as well. _Well, goodbye clothes, _he thought, _I'll miss you. Oh, Gucci watch. We were so close! _How in the world was he supposed to survive in that world? How could _he_ be the so called Hero of Time? Of course, it was also very like Luke to be cynical about everything. But, it was hard being optimistic about this, since it would change the circumstances of his whole life. Gosh, why did his life have to fly by so fast? How did he become almost eighteen? It felt as if every time he blinked he grew a year older.

Now, he was going to go on a journey like no other. It all had to be true, right? He and Alice did stick their hands through that tree, didn't they? It felt too real to have been his imagination. Luke took a deep breath as he took off his shirt and turned his light off.

He repeated his title throughout the night in his head: Link the Hero of Time… Link the Hero of Time… Link the Hero of Time…

***********************************************************************

It was the last day of high school. Well, for Luke and Alice, anyway. Luke absolutely loved the idea of no school as it worried Alice greatly. Then, it would also be the last night of television, cheeseburgers, and everything else that they would never see again. A whole different life would arise for the both of them, and everything would change.

Alice sighed as she was about to go to calculus. _Great…This is the class I have with my lover…Ughh… _she thought, scrunching up her face. She waited for Luke by the door, to at least see how he was doing. What she didn't know was that Mr. Collins was keeping a close eye on her. When she saw Luke approach, she tried to smile, but failed. Luke just gave her a funny look. "What's wrong? You look like you swallowed a hot pepper."

"_Excuse me?_"

Luke opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted when Mr. Collins approached. "Welcome to class, the both of you," he said, then grabbed the hat Luke wore on his head, "and no hats, Mr. Archer. How many times are we going to go over this?" Then, he gently shoved them into his classroom.

Then, there came the last lunch.

Afterwards, the last French class.

Then, it was finally time to go home…for the last time, of course.

They tried going to bed early that night, since they would have to wake up again at eleven: thirty. Though, Alice couldn't sleep. Luke couldn't either. So much was about to happen in the next few hours that they couldn't find it in them to just fall asleep, since the feeling of agitation was taking over them. However, their methods for staying awake were quite similar. Alice drank caffeinated tea with honey as Luke guzzled down diet soda.

It seemed to take forever before eleven: thirty arrived. By then, they were ready for the major conversion that was to take place. Luke snuck out of his window as Alice felt free to leave through the front door. Providentially, she wasn't caught. By the time the two made it to the designated area, it was fifteen till midnight and Impa was already waiting for them. She smiled when she saw them arrive.

"I'm so proud of you," she announced softly, "…Here." Then, she placed one hand on Alice's head and her other on Luke's. "I think this belongs to you." There was a bright pink glow and a magical sensation that took over them. The itense pink hue engulfed the dark night, brightening the atmosphere. They felt as if they were taken off their feet and walking on clouds.

_Hyrule. The Triforce. Ganondorf. The Castle. _

Memories began flowing into their minds as they began to recall their past events. Everything. They remembered everything. The sudden vast knowledge overwhelmed the couple, and a moment later, Impa released her hands from them.

Luke and Alice opened their blue eyes, now shimmering. They looked at Impa, then at one another. Interrupting the awkward silence, Alice spoke up. "Where's…my baby?" she carefully asked. Impa then pulled out the red gemstone. "Be vigilant and wary, Princess," she warned, "…please." Slowly, she placed the gem on the young woman's stomach, and it vanished inside her with a crimson glow. Alice placed her hands on her stomach, knowing that her child was returned to her, now back inside her body.

Now, Impa turned and faced the tree. "I can sense it; the portal is about to open," she said to them. She turned and faced Link, handing him the map. "Remember, you must take the Master Sword. Collect as many items and weapons as you can. The three Great Fairies you will find will help you as well." Then, she turned to Princess Zelda and gave her the ancient _Book of Hylian Legends, Myths, and Secrets_. "Zelda…my dear niece, please be mindful. You are one another's temple. A part of each of you lies in each other. Work together, for, no one can do this all on their own."

A tear slid down Zelda's face. Now that she remembered her aunt, she couldn't stand the thought of leaving her forever. "I love you with all my heart, and I will miss the both of you," Impa added, then hugged her. After the fact, she shook Link's hand. "Treat my niece well," she ordered. Link nodded, pressing his lips together firmly, clutching the woman's hand securely for a firm shake. It was then when a sound erupted from the tall tree behind them. They all turned around and saw the aperture between the two worlds and times begin to spread open for the very last time.

"It's time for your departure."

Link looked at Zelda, and she looked at him. "Are you ready, Princess?" he asked her. Biting her lip, she nodded. At the same time, taking each other's hand, they closed their eyes and jumped in, and the portal closed a moment later. Impa could only stare at the tree with tears rolling down her cheeks. The magic was gone, and the darkness of the night empowered her once more.

"Please, let them find each other again," she prayed softly, "…the forces of wisdom and courage against power will overthrow Ganondorf. But their love is the only thing that will bring those forces together…"

_If they ever find it again… _


	3. The Arrival

**The Temple of Time, Hyrule**

**Part Two:**

**The Arrival**

When Link opened his eyes, he recognized the building he was in. He could remember the stained-glass windows and the marble floor. He knew where he had returned to: The Sacred Temple of Time. He turned his head and saw that he was leaning against the altar. He then looked at himself. On his arms were his brown gauntlets, and on his feet were russet colored boots. His legs were covered with white tights and he wore a grassy green tunic that went down to his mid-thigh area. Touching his ears, he noticed they were once again longer and sharp. And on his blond hair was a long, green hat.

Link then looked down at his lap, and saw Princess Zelda resting her head there, whom was still asleep. He didn't know whether to smile or shove her off of him. But, he could not deny how beautiful she looked then and there. Her blond hair shimmered in the light, and her face seemed soft and supple, with her cheeks blushing red. She wore a long, silk dress of pink and white and pink shoes on her feet. Zelda's earrings resembled the Triforce, and her delicate, petite arms were covered with white, silken gloves. On her forehead was a golden tiara with a pink gem in the middle. Her ears were equivalent to Link's, lengthy and pointed. Altogether, the princess was a beautiful work of art.

Knowing that he shouldn't stay sitting there until Zelda awoke, he gently moved her head off of him and onto the floor as he stood up. After a stretch, Link looked around the temple. It was just the way he remembered it to be. Then, he recalled what Impa had told him before he left…The Master Sword. Looking past the altar, he noticed that the Door of Time was still opened from Ganondorf's escape. He knew that the Master Sword was in there. Slowly, he walked through.

There it was: The sacrosanct sword that only the Hero of Time could pull out. As he walked towards it, he gulped. Before trying to pull it out, Link stared at it for a little while, evoking all the times he had used the weapon before. Then, with a look of solemnity in his face, he stepped onto the stone and pulled the Master Sword out. Though, this time, nothing happened. He was still eighteen. He was still in the Temple of Time. And the world was still in trouble.

"It's about time."

Link jumped back, but then turned around and saw Princess Zelda staring at him with a smirk on her face. She looked even more entrancing awake than she did asleep. Oddly, he blushed, swiftly looking away from her and towards the sword.

"We've got a long way to go from here," he said as he began walking towards her, avoiding eye contact. However, when he finally did reach the princess, they looked at each other blankly. They didn't know how to act towards one another now. Things were different. They weren't in high school anymore. They were supposed to be in love, but didn't know if that was the way circumstances were moving towards.

Clearing her throat, Zelda disrupted the uncomfortable silence. "We need to get out of here," she said, "and go to the Lon Lon Ranch. I've never been there before…but _you_ have." Link nodded. Then, with him leading the way, they stepped out of the Temple. It was dark, gloomy, and downright creepy. Hyrule was no longer the vibrant, cheerful dwelling it had been.

"He completely destroyed my kingdom!" Zelda exclaimed when she saw Hyrule. They walked further, and found out there were worse matters that lay ahead.

She froze when she saw what was before her. A chill took over her.

Zelda parted her lips to scream, but Link covered her mouth tightly. "Don't say a word," he whispered directly, "or else we're totally screwed." For, there they were: the undead. Ganondorf had placed them once again in Hyrule's market place for those who decided they would like to 'visit' the new and improved kingdom. Taking Zelda's hand, Link began to walk slowly away from them. She was scared out of her mind at the mere sight of these monsters. However, as they were walking, Zelda's shoe had fallen off.

"Link!" she tried to whisper, but it ended up coming out of her mouth more loudly than she expected. He turned around and gave her a stern look. "My shoe! Go get it!" she exclaimed, pointing to it from a distance. He wrinkled his nose. "Why do _I_ have to?" he asked.

"Because I'm carrying your child."

His eyes widened at her reasoning, but he knew she was right. Link sighed as he slowly went back and pulled the heel of her shoe out from the crack. As he stood up, he exhaled a breath of relief. _That was close, _he thought.

Well… Maybe not.

The last thing the hero remembered was that he was desperately gasping for breath. One of the undead had awaken, grabbing hold of his neck, beginning to suck on his energy.

Clutching her stomach, Zelda shrieked . "LINK!"

That proved to be an ill-fated choice.

Upon Zelda's screech, the eyes of every other undead burst open, as they all made their way to the struggling young man.

_Oops…_thought the princess, who was aware of the mess Link had gotten into. She wanted to help him, but the fear of hurting the baby was too much of a risk for her. With her body shaking madly, Zelda ran into Hyrule field where it was safe, hoping that Link would be able to get out of this predicament.

Now, almost a dozen of the undead were around him, trying to suck on his energy, weaking the young man. Luckily, he was able to kick the first one off of him, then took out the Master Sword and started to aimlessly stab, slice, and pierce all that was surrounding him. It was an impeccable struggle, his body feeling weak and drained, his breath heavy. The Master Sword suddenly felt devastatingly heavy, while he continued to fight off the undead surrounding him. His eyes were closed, his heart racing. Finally, there was silence. Carefully, Link opened his eye, discovering that it was over. They lied on the ground, merely twitching. With his heart pounding like a mad drum, he followed Zelda out into Hyrule Field, where the sun had just risen.

There, he found the princess picking at grass on the ground. She seemed peacful and lovely as the sun rise shown above her. When she looked up and saw him, she jumped up and beamed. "You're alive!" she proclaimed, rushing to him. Though, he did not smile back at her.

"Thanks for ditching me."

"I was scared."

He wanted to be angry towards her, and maintained that gesture, though he felt it vanish as he gazed at her frightened expression. They were in the middle of Hyrule Field, and now they needed to find the Lon Lon Ranch for a place of shelter. Zelda grabbed the map from Link and unfolded it. "So…if we are here, and the ranch is there…" she observed, but became confused. "This doesn't make sense."

Link took the map back from Zelda's clutches. "It's right over _there_," he said, pointing to the ranch, which was only around two dozen meters ahead of them.

"I never said I was good at reading maps," Zelda explained, pouting her lip and folding her arms over her chest.

"I can see that."

As they made their way towards the ranch, the princess began to ponder. "What are we supposed to tell them?" she asked. Link hesitated to answer her. "Um…" he began, "…that Ganondorf has taken over the castle and we need a place to stay." Zelda shook her head at him. "That's stupid," she protested, "We can't just ask people for favors."

"Do you have any other bright ideas, Miss Princess?"

"…No…But we could at least offer something in return."

Now he was getting annoyed with her. "Like what?" he replied, "Please, tell me, Princess." Zelda frowned at his sarcasm.

"Fine. But _you're _the one who asks," she gave in. Link, however, ignored her. It seemed to take forever walking over to the ranch, even though it wasn't that far away. If they would have been running, they'd be there by now, and they still had some distance of a walk to complete before they were at the ranch.

With a smirk on his face, Link clutched his hands behind his back, chuckling to himself. Zelda ignored this act at first, but she soon became both curious and annoyed.

"What's so amusing?"

"Nothing," she replied, smiling smugly. "Just that being pregnant makes you as slow as a turtle."

The princess fumed at this. "What?! It does not!"

"How about a race then?"

Before she could respond, he suddenly stormed off, leaving her alone. Zelda scrunched her face, trying not to smile, but ultimately failed. "Hey!" she called out as she ran after him.

Before they knew it, they had made it at the Lon Lon Ranch. Yet, they were both utterly out of breath upon arriving. Zelda looked around with curiosity as Link searched for the owner of the ranch, Talon. "Now what?" the princess asked, "…it smells here." Link gave her a weird look. "They raise livestock, genius. How do you think they delivered your milk?"

"Link!"

The quarreling pair turned around swiftly and saw a young woman approaching them. Her hair was a glistening auburn and her eyes shimmered an ocean blue. She wore a plain white and pale pink dress with a brown apron and brown boots. Link recognized her in a heartbeat. It was Talon's beautiful daughter, Malon.

"I heard what happened!" the young woman proclaimed, taking his hand and standing a little _too_ close to Link. For some reason, this made Zelda want to pull the farm girl's hair out from her roots.

"Ganondorf's back, isn't he?" she finished.

_No kidding_, Zelda thought, unconsciously frowning. However, Link didn't mind the girl at all.

"Yes," he answered, "and he's taken over the castle…again. The princess and I need a place to stay." Surprised, Malon looked behind Link and saw Princess Zelda standing there. She gasped, bowled over at the sight of the princess here, at her father's ranch. "Greetings, Princess Zelda!" she welcomed, curtsying, "I'll go find my father." The young brunette ran off, and Link smiled sheepishly as he watched her go. Seeing the look on his face, Zelda smacked the back of his head. "Quit acting like such a player!" she yelled at him.

"Quit being so jealous," he replied with a sly smirk.

Soon enough, Malon came back with her chubby father, Talon. He had dark brown hair that matched his beard and thick eyebrows. Adjusting his blue overalls, he smiled at Link and the princess. "I hear you need a place to stay," he affirmed, "and I would be honored if you resided here for the time being." Link and Zelda smiled, relieved. "I especially can't believe that our very own princess of Hyrule will be staying with us!" Talon added, causing Zelda to blush red. "We thank you so very much."

"I'm so happy you'll be staying with us, Link," Malon told him, giving him an odd smile. Link couldn't help but blush. "I have something to show you," she finished, and then grabbed Link's hand, taking him to the stable and leaving Zelda by her lonesome.

Link didn't know what to expect from Malon, did not foresee what her surprise could be. Before revealing it to him, she placed her palms over his eyes, and then released them when they came to a halt.

"It's Epona!" Link cried out when he saw the horse Malon had given to him. "She came here when she couldn't find you," Malon explained, "It made me worried…I thought something happened to you." She looked into his eyes deeply, and then smiled softly.

"Well…here I am," Link reassured her as he petted the elegant horse. Sighing, Malon looked away, inadvertently tapping her foot. From the corner of her eye, she could see Princess Zelda conversing with Ingo, her father's longtime employee. She frowned at the sight of the stunning woman of regal descent. "So…what's been going on between you and the princess?" Malon decided to ask him, raising a brown, slender brow in curiosity. Link hesitated to answer, since he really didn't know what was to happen between them now.

"Um…nothing," he replied. However, that retort wasn't enough of an answer for her. "You're just a knight in shining armor to her rescue, huh?" she said with a laugh, "Is that why you're here with her?" Not knowing what to say, he only nodded. Link turned and gazed at the blonde princess, not realizing he was smiling when he looked at her. The sight of her was lovely, and he became transfixed in her. The sun shone on her golden locks, her lips glimmered a deep, hot pink. Her skin seemed so creamy, so soft, and her sweet laugh could be heard as she conversed with Ingo.

"She's so beautiful, isn't she?" Malon said, knowing it was true. Coming back from his daze, Link turned to her and shrugged his shoulders. "She's okay, I guess," he stated. Malon smiled broadly at him, yet feeling a bit uneasy. "Epona missed you," she began, changing the subject. "She came back here last night. I guess that's when everything went berserk back at the castle, huh?"

"You wouldn't even believe it."

Malon bit her lips. "Is it _that_ bad?" she asked. "He's taken over most of Hyrule. It's like a cemetery over in the market place," he explained, "So…yeah, it's pretty bad." Malon frowned. "That's not good. Are you going to stop him?" Malon asked him. His reply was simple. "If I can."

That night, Malon showed Zelda where she would be sleeping. "I have a few dresses for you, Princess," she told her, laying a few outfits on the bed, "They aren't exactly of the finest materials, but they are comfortable. It must feel pretty sore wearing those tight, itchy dresses all the time." Malon laughed at herself as Zelda smiled. "Thank you," she told the maiden. Malon couldn't help but stare at Zelda.

"Goodness, you are so lovely. You are like a rose," she commented, causing the princess to blush a deep, crimson red. "Don't be silly," she told her, "You are not any less pretty than I am." Malon looked down. After a moment of silence, Zelda could tell that something was wrong.

"Are you upset?" she asked Malon. Looking at the princess, she told her, "I'm sure that you could have anyone you want. Me? I can't get even a simple fellow to notice me. I've known him since I was a child, so I'm sure all he'll ever see me as is only a friend." Zelda thought about it for a moment, and then came up with an idea. "How do you act when you're around him?" she asked. "Like a lady, the way my father raised me to be, of course," she answered.

Princess Zelda smiled at her idea. "Tell him how you feel, but not just with words," she explained, "Act like a total vixen, make him _wish_ that he had you. It may not be who you are, but it will most definitely be fun and you may get the response that you'd been looking for." Malon smiled at the suggestion. "Do you truly think that would work?" she asked, and Zelda nodded with confidence. "Of course!" she ensured the young lady, "You have the looks; all you need is some attitude." Anxiously, Malon turned to leave. "Thank you, my lady!" she yelled with contentment, "Thank you so much!" Afterwards, she felt the room, leaving Zelda feeling very proud of herself. _I am such a good person_, she thought arrogantly, with a smug smile forming on her lips.

****************************************************

_Of course they make me have to sleep with the chickens._

Link's form of shelter was the paddock where they kept most of their chickens, which were running free, out and about. Talon promised that they slept peacefully throughout the night and guaranteed that there wouldn't be any 'surprises' in the morning. Link would have to sleep on the floor with a thin blanket for warmth. Nice.

Those bothersome chickens were everywhere, clucking and running as if they were being murdered. There were feathers flying all over the room. It was not a very pleasing environment.

"This really sucks," he said to himself, sitting down and leaning his head against the wall. A chicken came and sat down next to him. Link looked at it and sighed. "I guess this means we're friends now," he said to the clueless bird, "I'll name you…Chester." For some reason, he went to pet it, but he ended up making Chester mad and the chicken bit his hand. "Ow!" he proclaimed, and then pushed it away. "You've just lost yourself a friend, you good for nothing bird!"

There was a knock at the door.

With a sigh, Link answered bleakly, "Come in."

The door opened and a pleased looking Malon came in. Smiling, Link stood up. Looking around the chicken infested room, Malon giggled. "Are you having a fun time with my little friends?" she asked. "Oh yes, I love animals," Link joked. "So…is there anything you needed to ask me?"

"Actually…there is a little something I wanted to…discuss with you." With saying that, she closed the door, then took her key and locked it. Link started to become nervous as Malon slowly made her way towards him. There was a slightly sinister look plastered on her face.

"Um…so, what's on your mind, Malon?" he asked tensely, his body stiffening as she approached him. He pressed his knees together. Never until that moment had he ever felt so timid. Unfortunately, her answer wasn't what he hoped it would be.

"You are."

Link didn't know if the girl was only kidding around or if she was about to kill him. When she finally reached him, she pushed Link to the ground, causing him to land on his bottom and the chickens to run frantically throughout the room. Seductively, she bent down and crawled towards his body. "Ever since that day I met you when I was ten years old…Gosh, have I wanted you SOOO bad!" Link's eyes widened as Malon pinned him to the floor, now on top of him. Her face was only a few inches away from his.

"We're adults now, aren't we, Link?" she whispered, "We can do _bad things_ now, can't we?" Link was not enjoying this as much as he'd thought he would. "Malon, have you been drinking?" he asked her, even though he couldn't smell anything on her breath. "No," she replied, "I am just doing something I should have done a long time ago." She went to kiss him, but Link pushed her away. "Malon, you're acting inane," Link told her, trying to get up. However, she pushed him back down even harder.

"Let's make love here, now!" she announced.

"What?! Malon, we're in a room full of chickens!"

"So? They can do it too if they want!"

She was about to take off her dress when Link was finally able to get her off of him. Running to the door, he turned and banged at the handle, but it wouldn't budge. "Why are you running away from me?" she cried out angrily as she stood and marched towards him, "Why are you rejecting me?!" However, he ignored her outburst and continued shaking the doorknob.

"Link!" she continued calling him. When he didn't answer her she grabbed him and turned him around fiercely. "Is it because of _her_? Princess Zelda? Do you love her? Because she's the one who told me to do this, you know!" Now arose more news that surprised Link. How many times could a guy get bowled over in a single day?

"Princess Zelda told you to do this?" he repeated, unable to fully believe what Malon had told him

"She said it would work!" she continued, "She said you would like it!" Then, she finished with a cry. "SHE SAID I WOULD LIKE IT BUT I DIDN'T!!!" Malon then buried her face in her hands and began to sob. With a sigh, Link gave the farm girl a friendly hug.

"Don't cry," he said, "I guess Zelda got over excited. She doesn't talk to girls her age very often. Trust me, her advice to you was really cheap. The princess is _not_ a vixen herself, believe me." Malon looked up at him and frowned.

"But now you think I'm crazy," she said, and then started to bawl again, "YOU THINK I'M AN IDIOT!" _I can't believe this,_ Link thought as she tried to calm the girl who was crying hysterically on his shoulder.

"I don't think you're crazy."

"YES YOU DO!!!"

This was unbelievable.

"Malon, I don't! Now shut up and give me the damn key!" Link yelled, extending his hand. She immediately stopped crying. And, with a sniffle, placed the key in his pam. Satisfied, he opened the door. "I'll go now," Malon said, "But, PLEASE don't tell my father! Oh, Link, I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright, I'm not upset. It was actually kind of hot," Link told her, hoping it would give her the inspiration to stop feeling sad. "Just for your next target, please pick a different room." She nodded tearfully, a small smile overcoming her mouth. Silently, she exited the room. There was an odd silence now. The chickens appeared to have been paying attention to the seduction scene. And now, Link needed to have a little word with Princess Zelda…

He left the room and looked for the ever so innocent princess. Upon finding her cozy little legroom, he knocked on her door, but opened it anyway before she had a chance to respond. The princess sat on her bed and looked up when Link entered. She smiled at him, but it disappeared when she saw that he did not return the gesture. "What's up your bum?" she asked him. Now smirking mischievously , he answered her in a familiar way.

"You are."

He immediately closed her door and pin-locked it. Out of confusion, Zelda raised a perfectly plucked eye brow. "Excuse me?" she asked, getting up and going to him. However, he pushed her back on her bed and gently pinned her down. Shocked and angry, Zelda bellowed.

"Link, you jerk, I'M PREGNANT!" she exclaimed, "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Something I should have done a long time ago," he said. Zelda could now feel his breath on her face. "Ever since that day I met you eight years ago…I've wanted you SOOO bad!" With that, an enormous grin spread on his face as he began to shake the bed wildly. He was chuckling, rather hysterically, and in the midst of him bouncing, he yelled out, "Let's make love here, RIGHT NOW!"

As fuming as could be, Zelda finally managed to kick him off of her. Link landed hard on the floor on his derriere. Apparently not minding the harsh impact of his landing, the boy had to clutch his stomach as he was now laughing uncontrollably. In fact, he was laughing so hard that his stomach began to hurt and he almost could not breathe anymore. Infuriated, Zelda could not believe what was happening.

"You sex-crazed freak!" she yelled, "What the heck is WRONG with you?!" At last, the young hero was able to regain his composure.

"Oh, I'm just repeating the exact same thing that happened with me and MALON just a while ago!" he answered sternly. Zelda scowled at him. "You did that to Malon too, you pig?!" she said, and Link shook his head at her.

"It was the whole other way around, princess."

Zelda widened her eyes. "What…? Why would she do that?" she asked. Link was surprised why she'd pretend that she didn't know why. "Well, Malon had said that _you_ told her to act like a total sex fanatic!" Link said. Zelda was about to argue back, but then closed her mouth when she remembered the little talk she had with Malon earlier.

"Oh no…" she said to herself quietly.

"I can't believe you would tell her something like that!" Link yelled.

"Well, I didn't think she was talking about _you_!" Zelda explained, "She wanted some advice and I said that she should be a little more enticing, that's all. I didn't think she would take it _that_ far." Then, her eyes widened, "Did she…"

"No, NOTHING happened!"

Zelda laughed, "I wish I was there to see it."

"Why am I not surprised?"

Princess Zelda couldn't help but smile at him. The sight of Link on the floor with messed up blond hair was rather hilarious, especially with the look he had on his face. _Is this the same man I absolutely couldn't stand in high school_? She wondered as she looked at the more mature Link. _For one thing, he doesn't seem so materialistic. _Without realizing it, she had been staring at him for quite a while.

"What are you looking at?" he finally asked her. Shaking her head as she came back into reality, she answered, "Nothing." Trying to conceal her blush, Zelda cleared her throat. "I think we've had enough adventures for one day. I'm going to sleep." Link smiled at her, and then at last stood. "Well, I better go. The goddesses know you need your beauty sleep," he told her. "Goodnight, Princess."

"Goodnight, freak."

Shaking his head with a soft chuckle, he unlocked her door and left her alone. Zelda sighed as she recalled the strange events that had taken place over the last couple of minutes. She couldn't help but laugh of the irony of it all. When Link had entered her room and jumped on top of her like that, she thought he had gone mad. And, it all led to the fact that the 'simple' man Malon had fancied was Link! Knowing that seemed to make her right eye twitch and nostrils flare. But, why was this making her so jealous? Yes, Link was the father of her child, as well as her boyfriend, fiancé, and future king of Hyrule–but, things were different now. She knew him as a different person. Could she possibly fall in love with him all over again?

She didn't want to think about this now. She was way too tired. She glanced over at the clothes Malon brought for her to wear. Looking through them she found a comfortable dress she could wear to bed. It took her a while to take off her gown and everything, since she wore so many glamorous items. Changing into her dress, she finally blew out her candle and went to sleep.

****************************************************************

The following morning, Link woke up when the chickens stirred. It wasn't very pleasant, since one of them bit his ear trying to get him up. A part of him wanted to kick them so bad that it was just screaming inside of him. Then, there was the other part–the benevolent and considerate part–that wouldn't let him. Grunting, he sat up and stretched, his back and neck sore from the strange position he had been sleeping in.

Upon leaving the room, he went outside to see Talon and Ingo feeding the horses at the stable. Talon waved at him. "Good morning, Link!" he called out, "How did you sleep?"

The expression on Link's face was not a pleasing one. "Oh, great," he replied sarcastically. "Never better." Then, he caught a glimpse of Malon, who was carrying a bucket of water over to the horses. When she saw Link, she stopped suddenly, and the bucket fell to the ground and splattered.

"Malon!" Talon cried out. Gasping at what she'd done, she gasped, placing both her delicate hands over her mouth.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry, father!" she apologized. Link smiled at her, knowing she felt ridiculous over the previous night, as he also did. Slowly, he approached the devastated girl, helping her pick up her buckets.

It was at that moment when Zelda made her entrance in the broad morning daylight. When Link looked over at her, he bit his lower lip. The princess still looked elegant even in Malon's working dress. She walked up to Link, but did not greet him. Instead, she took hold of his arm and briskly dragged him away from the others.

"What are we doing today?" she asked him. He could only shrug.

"I guess I'll go look for the Great Fairy at Lake Hylia and get that crystal, like Impa told us," he answered, and then raised an eyebrow when he saw the look of slyness that was written all over Zelda's face, "…Why?" She smiled, thankful he had asked her that. "Because I want to do…something _normal_ today," she answered. Link laughed. "Normal?" he repeated, and she nodded back. "What would you consider normal, princess?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking you."

"And I'm normal, huh?"

Now, Zelda was the one to laugh. "Yes!" she told him, clasping her hands together in a gesture of begging. "Please! I may never have this opportunity ever again." Link leered. "I guess that's okay," he answered, even though he really didn't have a place in mind. Hearing their conversation as he walked by with hay, Ingo interrupted them. "I heard they closed down the potion shop in Kakariko Village and turned it into a bar," he said. Zelda huffed, "A bar? How terrible, disgusting! What a waste of a building! Why–"

"It sounds perfect."

Zelda could not believe the words that came out of Link's mouth. "Glad to be of help," the cheerful worker said as he headed off. Once he was fully gone, Zelda smacked Link in the face. "What are you thinking?" she asked him, quite upset. "You know I can't drink, and you also know _why_!" Tilting her head and widening her eyes, she indicating her stomach.

"So…you could have water," he replied. But, that wasn't enough to satisfy Zelda.

"So I'm supposed to accompany you so you can get drunk and get us into all sorts of trouble?" she asked, tapping her foot. Suddenly, an idea came over Link's mind.

"We'll take Malon with us."

"Malon?!" she repeated, frowning at the thought. "Why would we take her?!"

Link was about to answer her, but ceased when another thought came to him. He grinned. "It sounds like you just wanted it to be the both of us. Alone. Together. Like a- ow!"

The princess had stepped on his foot before he could finish. "That's not what I'm saying, you idiot!" she argued, giving the boy in pain her nastiest look. "But don't you think it would be kind of awkward, regarding the fact that she likes you and that I'm CARRYING YOUR BABY?!"

"We owe it to her."

With her lips pressed together firmly, an aggravated grunt escaped her throat. "You can take your little girlfriend. But you're not allowed to get drunk. You raging freak of nature."

"Alright, my little dumpling of joy."

*********************************************

"We must be careful out in Hyrule Fields," Malon warned them that night, riding one of her horses as Link and Zelda were on Epona. "If you do recall, there are many dangers out here during nightfall." Knowing this made Zelda tremor. _Why must we leave so late? _she thought, _Why didn't we go during the afternoon? What makes drinking __late__ more enjoyable than drinking early? _Then, she shook her head and sighed. _It's not like I'll be drinking, anyway. These two dullards, on the other hand, will probably get drunk out of their minds. _She looked at Link and Malon as their horses started moving.

"I still don't think this is a good idea," she stated.

"You wanted normal, I'm giving you normal," Link insisted.

Hearing the hushed tone of their voices as they headed off into Kakariko Village, Malon looked at the two blonds riding Epona. She frowned at the sight of them so close together. When she looked up, she realized that they were almost there. While they approached the entrance Malon went ahead to lead the way for them. In the darkness of the night, they left their horses out as they climbed off of them. They headed up several stairs and found two rather small buildings, made of wood, across from another. "This is the Bazaar," Malon said, indicating to one of them, then turned to the other. "Here's our bar. It used to be the potion shop." Even though they were still outside, the music and noise that inside could still be heard by them. Suddenly, Zelda was scared to go in.

Malon had already walked inside, and as Link was about to, he noticed Zelda wasn't moving. Facing the nervous princess, he rested his hands on his hips. "Aren't you coming?" he asked her. Hesitating to answer, she bit her lip. "What if…something happens?" she wondered. Link shook his head reassuringly. "I promise, _nothing_ will happen," he guaranteed. Then, he let out his hand, waiting for her to accept his offer. She seemed apprehensive to take his hand, but tentatively, she accepted it and walked inside with him

When they went through the doors, the bright light hurt Zelda's eyes at first. As she became accustomed to it, she saw a room full of people enjoying themselves as they drank, danced to folk music, and associated with others. She smiled at the sight of delight that took place before her. Still holding her hand, Link led her to a booth where he spotted Malon, who was slipping a glass of wine. When she saw them come toward her, she smiled softly. Zelda decided to sit by the pretty farm girl.

Malon looked at Zelda, who seemed to look very hasty tonight._. _However, she didn't say a thing to the fidgety princess. She then looked past her at Link, who had finally let go of the princess's hand. It was then when a heavy set man (who didn't look as if he was really on the hygienic side), the bartender, came.

"What do yer wants?" he asked loudly. Zelda grumbled. "What do you want…" she corrected him under her breath. Link had ordered a small glass of red wine. Zelda sighed as the bartender looked at her. "What abouts you, Pretty Missy?" he asked as he revealed a yellow, crooked smile. Zelda exhaled deeply, having no clue of what to order, since the pregnancy would not allow her to drink.

"What do you have?" she asked, hoping he would say tea or something along those lines among his list. "We's got beer, red wine, booze, moon shine, white wine, wine coolers, shots–"

"Anything that _doesn't _have alcohol in it?" she asked, now frustrated with the repugnant and vulgar man. He paused before he answered, "Well…I perpose we gots some water, lady."

"Fine. I'll have water."

Nodding his head, he went to bring them their water and wine. After the bartender had gone, Link laughed at Zelda's unfortunate predicament. Malon just shook her head.

"Would you like to dance, beautiful miss?"

With a broad, ear-to-ear smile, Zelda turned around, expecting the question to be directed to her.

"I'd love to."

However, that answer did not come from her lips, but from Malon's. The handsome young stranger had asked _Malon _to dance with him! This made her angry beyond belief as she watched the girl rise and take the gentleman's hand. Wrinkling her nose, Zelda turned back around and gulped down the rest of her water. Link couldn't help but stare at the upset princess.

An inspiration came when he heard the next song begin. He recognized the beat of the drums and the tune from the wood-wind instrument. It was the very, quite catchy song of the Deku Palace, where he had been to as a child on one of his previous escapades. He looked over at Princess Zelda, who was tracing a circle with her finger on the table.

"Zelda, would you like to dance with me?"

Surprised, she looked at him oddly. "Are you talking to me?" she asked him, then realized it was a stupid question because he had said her name.

Link chuckled, his boyish smile haunting her. "Yes," he replied.

"I'm not much of a dancer," she confessed. "I mean, to this type of music."

"That's alright. Because _I_ am."

Without waiting for her answer, Link stood up and pulled Zelda from her seat. Then, he twirled her around to the rhythm of the drums. At first, she felt embarrassed. But, as she moved for a little while, she began to enjoy herself. They were the center of attention now, with all the drunkards clapping along to the music as the couple danced and moved their feet swiftly.

Zelda felt more drunk than all of them combined, and all she had to drink was a glass of lemony water. But, at that moment, she didn't care. She was having such a grand time that nothing mattered to her. Link's palm was placed lightly on her waist, as his other hand gripped her fingers securely. Though she did not openly admit it, she felt a warmness in the manner in which he touched her. It brought familiar memories, ones of a romantic Link. Ones that took place in the Lost Woods, where she would lift up her skirts, and they would...

Before they knew it, they had been in the Kakariko Bar for several hours, even though it felt like only a few minutes.

Link practically had to force Zelda out of the building. She was laughing and giggling like a young girl. Her cheeks flushed red, and her hair was a blonde chaos on her head. Link couldn't help but smile at the sight of Zelda for once not looking so "prim and proper." For a moment, he almost couldn't tell it was even her.

Finding their horses, Link and Zelda climbed onto Epona and Malon went on her own, smiling to herself pleasantly considering the new male friend she had just made. They were now heading out of Kakariko Village and into Hyrule Fields, the darkness of the night making it difficult for them to see clearly. Zelda held onto Link's stomach tightly, trying not to fall asleep. As they roamed the fields, both horses halted briskly.

Skeletons rose from the ground.

Both ladies yelped at the sight, as the horses began to panic.

"Keep going!" Link cried out to Malon, so she would continue riding away from the danger. He wished Zelda was on that same horse, as Malon had ridden off to the ranch. Link tried to do the same as well. However, the living skeletons planted by Ganondorf were now too close. Epona couldn't handle all the sharp turns Link wanted her to make. She jumped up in the midst of riding, causing Zelda to lose grip and crash to the ground. The princess screamed, terrified beyond what even she could imagine. Link's heart was beating madly when he saw lying on the ground, holding onto her stomach protectively. Hurriedly, he climbed off Epona and reached for his sword.

One by one, he slashed at them, as he seemed to have gotten into a mde rage. He then heard a painful cry emerge from Zelda's mouth, as he looked and saw that a few of the living skeletons were still alive and had clawed at the princess. With a powerful yell, he threw one final blow at the carcasses, finishing them off.

He found the princess softly sobbing on the ground. Apprehensively he bent down to her, gently holding her close to him, resting her head on his chest.

"Where'd they cut you?" he asked softly. Trembling, Zelda revealed the red spot on her dress, and lifted it to show the long, bleeding cut on her inner thigh. Link's eyes widened at the gruesome display.

"What if…my baby…" Zelda tried to say, but couldn't finish as she tried to wipe the abiding tears from her face. Link then took off his hat and tried to wipe some of the blood off of her leg. Afterward, he picked her up and motioned for Epona to follow him as he carried her back to the ranch, praying that another quandary wouldn't arise.

_Why wasn't I able to use my magic? _Zelda thought to herself, worried and disappointed. She held onto Link securely as he carried her, closing her eyes tightly out of fear. _What happened? _A few minutes later, they saw the entrance to the Lon Lon Ranch. Seeing that they had made it, Malon came running out to the two vigorously. "Oh my goodness!" she cried out when she saw Zelda's condition. "She's hurt!"

"I need you to bring a bucket of warm water and some towels," he told her and Malon ran off as he took the princess to her room and laid her on the bed. Zelda sat up. She was too distressed to be lying down. Her whole body continued to quiver uncontrollably, as Link tried to calm her down by massaging her shoulders. Soon, Malon returned with a bucket and soft towels. "I'll fix her something to eat," she offered, leaving them alone as she closed the door.

Link took a towel and dipped it into the hot water and rung it out. He was on his knees at the edge of the bed, looking at the bloodstain on her clothing.

"…Lift up your dress," he told her hesitantly, his voice a little unsteady. Uncomfortably, she raised her dress up to her upper thigh area, exposing her injury. Link took the warm, moist towel and began to wipe away the blood. Zelda squinted her eyes and bit her lips as she felt the terrible burning on her leg, gasping sharply at the pain.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, blinking repeatedly. Silently, the princess nodded.

He went to her face now, which was a little muddy and covered with scratches. With a different towel he slowly began to wipe her forehead. Their gazes never separated, as their eyes locked securely.

As Link moved to her neck, he couldn't help but feel a great deal of tension come over his body. Without completely realizing it, he took the tips of his fingers and ran them down her cheek tenderly. The feeling of his fingertips caressing her caused a shiver to go down her spine, her body to tremble at an even greater extent.

Now, she could feel his breath hitting her face. She could smell the fragrance of his body. An emotion of desire overpowered her as he continued to gently touch her face. The way he looked into her eyes was so honest and sincere. The way he touched her was so tender, delicate. At that moment, he had never looked more handsome and compassionate as he did just then. The only sound was that of their heartbeats and breath, which seemed to create a rhythm of its own.

He touched her thighs again, but not to clean them. He caressed her wound once more, then kissed her bare knee. The act was completely unanticipated, on both their parts. Link expected Zelda to kick him in his face, he was actually waiting for it. However, she did not, and the glisten in her eyes appeared to neither give him permission or completely stop him. Looking directly into her eyes, his fingers gently touched the skin of her thigh, as his lips trailed on her flesh once more. His mouth was moist, warm. Her knee quivered at his tender oral touch.

"Do you think the baby…?" she began softly, but Link shook his head and smiled.

"The baby's going to be fine."

Zelda knew what was to happen next. She closed her eyes, and a moment later, felt Link's lips sink into hers. The kiss was smooth and sweet, as if their lips were made of honey. She placed her hands on his cheeks, bringing him closer to her. He did not resist or pull back. His palms smoothed over the full, soft curves of her thighs, traveling higher up. He pressed his thumb against her groin, eliciting a moan from the princess's throat. Her lips swerved against his, her tongue dancing with his own. She couldn't control the tremble of her body, the rapid beat of her heart. She could feel it pulsating within her chest. So many memories, flooding her mind. Her body remembering so many hot nights, and wanting to relive what she so vividly remembered.

There was a knock at the door.

Immediately, they separated from each other, trying hastily to recapture their breaths. Malon walked in a moment later, carrying a bowl of hot oatmeal. The two turned away and stared at her, causing the maiden to feel awkward. "I brought you something to eat, my lady…" she spoke, sensing that there was something going on as she brought the warm bowl over to the princess. Accepting it, Zelda said, "Thank you." However, Malon didn't leave right away. She had an eerie feeling lurking inside of her.

She gawked at the innocent-looking princess's face, and then over to the young man kneeling down beside her. The glow in their eyes told her that there was more going on in the room besides Link tidying the wreck of a lady up. But, she only shook her head, finally comprehending that Link was not her property and he had the right to do what he wanted with his private and romantic life. The farm girl opened the door. "Well…good night," she said. The two replied an additional 'good-night' before Malon departed from them.

And there they were again… Alone.

Now, things seemed to be more gauche and discomforting than they were before. They didn't know what to say to each other after what had happened. Zelda cleared her throat, purposely disrupting the uncanny silence that had swept over the room. "Good night, Link," she said to him. Standing up, Link did the same as well. "Good night, Princess Zelda," he replied. Then, he headed for the door.

"Wait, Link–!"

He turned around. Zelda hesitated, but then finally managed a heartwarming smile. "I…I had a great time tonight." Link was surprised to here her say that.

"Even with the incident in Hyrule Field?" he asked.

"But what came after that was the most memorable."

Link blushed, giving her a shy smile before he finally opened the door and left. Then, Zelda knocked herself back down on the bed, looked up to the ceiling, and laughed.

But then she remembered who she had kissed.

_Link…Luke Archer! The man you dedicated your life to hating! _But, then she remembered that this wasn't high school any more, and that they weren't little children, either. Though, she couldn't help but feel strange about the whole situation. She placed her fingertips on her lips, remembering and savoring the kiss Link had given her with his own supple lips. And she recalled the trembling sensation he gave her with his soft touch on her cheek, and the rest of her body. She knew that if Malon hadn't interrupted, she was going to have sex with him.

Just when she thought the worst of him–that Link was a perverted, materialistic, cocky, rude, unmannered jerk–he ated like a gentleman, driving her crazy with a kiss that made her body shudder and her heart melt. After eating her oatmeal, she realized how tired she was soon after he left. Sitting up, she blew out her candle, allowing complete darkness to fill the room. Then, she at last fell into a deep sleep.

_My magic…_was the last thought that ran through her head that night. _What happened…?_

_********************************************************_

The next morning, an argument arose between Link and Zelda.

"No, you aren't doing anything without me!" Zelda yelled at him, after he had told her to stay put while he would go look for the Great Fairy at Lake Hylia. However, she did not take the news as well as he had expected her to. The princess was fuming, furious that the idea would even come to his mind. Link still refused. "You can't risk getting hurt again, Princess," he explained. Zelda only shook her head at him. "Are you my father to tell me what I can and can't do?" she asked with an attitude.

"No, but you sure are acting like a child."

Now she remembered why she had disliked him so much before.

Steam seemed to come out of Zelda's ears. It took all she had to keep from choking Link. "You can't leave me here!" she added, "You remember what Impa said: we _must_ stick together. That's the only way we'll defeat Ganondorf." Link knew that Zelda did have a point. But, the idea of her getting hurt again and possibly losing the child was a more important option for him.

"Besides…" she continued, "…Hadn't it even occurred to you that maybe _I _had something to ask the Great Fairy as well?" Link didn't know if she was serious, or if she was making things up just to go with him. But, he also recalled Impa's words to them. They had to stay by each other's sides. For a moment, he didn't respond to the demanding princess. What was a guy supposed to do? Should he let Zelda come and risk getting her hurt again? Or, should he leave her here, and then risk the future of Hyrule? He sighed as he made his final decision.

"You better get dressed, Princess."

Zelda grinned, knowing that she had won. Hurriedly, she ran off into her legroom to change back into her royal dress, recently washed up by Malon. Knowing that Zelda was going to take a half hour at the least to pretty herself up, Link headed towards the stable. There, he saw Talon tending to the horses: feeding them, brushing their backside, and laying down a bucket of cold water for them to drink. When he saw the young man, Talon looked up.

"Good morning, Link? How was your night?" he asked, and Link tried to think of a good answer. "It was…quite interesting," he replied. Talon nodded. "It's good that Malon finally got to go out and have fun," he said, "All she ever does is work here, on the farm." Link cleared his throat before he began.

"I'm leaving for Lake Hylia today," he said, which interested Talon enough for him to stop what he was doing and pay attention. "I might not be back," he finished. Talon sighed. "I see," he said, "…Well, I know that every man has to take care of his responsibilities. And your's happens to be a grand one. It was nice having you here, Link."

"Thanks for letting us stay here until we could get things settled," Link added as he recalled the previous morning and afternoon where he had collected some items and weapons he would need for his journey. He persuaded the lovely little maiden who worked at the Bazaar in Kakariko Village to give him a bow and arrow for free after he explained the circumstances and used his charms on her. He also was able to find several bombs among Hyrule Fields.

As if Talon had read his mind, he told Link, "You can't just leave us empty handed. You'll need some rupees here to get you started." Link smiled as the man left the horses and soon came back with a wallet. "There's about one hundred rupees," he said as he handed the wallet to Link, "That should be enough for now, right?"

Link nodded. "Yeah. Thanks a lot. You've been a great help."

"No problem…My, there's our beauty now."

Link didn't know what he was talking about at first, until he looked behind him and saw an elegant and glamorous Princess Zelda, once again wearing her royal dress. Her lips were a deep magenta, and her eye lids sparkled a lustrous lavender. Link couldn't help but smile at the beautiful work of art before him, coming his way.

"I'm ready," she said calmly. Link then looked from Zelda to Talon. "I better go get Malon and Ingo," he told the two, "They'll want to say good bye as well, I'm sure." Hastily, Talon ran off to find them. Link returned his gaze back on Zelda, who seemed to be more radiant than ever.

"I guess it's just you and me," he said. The princess smiled. Wasn't she just completely enraged at him a mere moment ago? Her emotions were everywhere. First, she hated him. Then, she thought she might possibly admire him. It was down hill from there. Being pregnant was causing her to have vast mood swings.

Talon returned with Ingo and Malon besides him.

"Link and Princess Zelda are leaving," he announced. Ingo let out a hand for them to shake. "That's too bad," he told them, "Seeing your lovely face, Princess, brought me more joy on this farm." Zelda couldn't help but smile and blush. Malon didn't give her farewell right away. She just stood there for a moment, looking at them.

"Aren't you going to say good bye, my daughter?"

Sighing, she managed to make eye contact with Zelda. "Goodbye, my lady," she told her, and then curtseyed. Then, she looked at Link. She didn't know what to say to him. Link decided to do it for her. "Good bye, Malon," he told her, "Thank you for everything." She smiled at him.

"Good bye, Link."

Then, she called Epona over. The horse came running instantly. Upon calming the animal down, the princess and hero climbed atop her. After that, they left the Lon Lon Ranch, leaving the three farmers waving behind them. Malon stared off into the distance. Then, she smiled.

"Good luck, Hero," she murmured to herself, biting the fingernail of her thumb. "Hyrule is depending on you."

Back in Hyrule Fields. Thankfully, it was daylight, which meant no unexpected visitors from the grounds. They were on their way to Lake Hylia, which wasn't too far off. Link was riding a thousands miles an hour on Epona, which started to scare Zelda at the tremendous speed at which they were going.

"Link!" she cried out, "You're going too fast!" Hearing her, he tried to make Epona slow down a little bit. He didn't want the pregnant woman throwing up on him. The horse then turned and made several sharp turns, jumping over numerous fences. Zelda held onto Link's stomach as tightly as she could, praying that she would not fall once again.

Soon enough, they had arrived at the unpopulated Lake Hylia. Upon reaching their destination, they climbed off of Epona. Zelda beamed at the sight of the beautiful lake and grasses that surrounded this place. "Now what?" she asked Link. First, he looked around before answering her question, trying to recall the surroundings of the familiar area.

"I guess we have ourselves a fairy to look for."

Zelda scrunched her face. "But…how are we supposed to do that?" she asked him. "It's like hide and seek," he told her, "We look everywhere until we find her." The princess only shook her head at him. "I swear, Link," he commented, "You are _so_ immature at times that, actually, it isn't even that hard to believe."

Silence.

Seeing that he wasn't to respond, she continued. "Also, you seem to think like a child! You never use your brain, which I do hope you have one, and you are always–"

He pushed her into the lake.

Zelda screamed furiously as Link began laughing. "LINK!" she yelled, "I'm all wet!" The young man was unable to stop his hysterics. The sight of Zelda soaking wet and just sitting there was just too hilarious. But it also gave him a feeling of remorse. He let out his hand to help her up. Smiling cleverly, she accepted his hand…and then pulled him in alongside her. Another large splash occurred as he fell in. Now, Zelda was the one to have her laugh.

Trying not to smile, Link threw water into her face. "You ruined my make-up!" she cried. Then, she pushed him down again. They weren't getting much accomplished by doing this, but they did enjoy the exuberance. They had become as wet as can be as they continued to splash water on one another, giggling like children. They also thought no one was watching them.

"Why, get out of that there lake 'er mine, yer good for nothin' munchkins!"

Out of shock, Link and Zelda immediately jumped up at the same time, creating a very substantial, large splash of water. When the waters rested, they saw a short, stout, old woman with crinkly gray hairs and a long, bent nose. Her feet were long and narrow, covered with flat slippers. She wore a long (well, for _her_, anyway) black dress that Zelda considered to be one of the most distressing looking ones she had ever laid eyes upon. For a while, they only stared at her.

"YOU HEARDS ME!"

Hastily, they stood and ran out of the lake, obeying the woman's orders. Slowly, she approached the two wet adults. The old woman looked up at them, and then took a whiff of the sides of their stomachs. "Hmm…" she mumbled, "That there scent I smell smellers like some good fornication." Link and Zelda gave the woman a bewildering look.

"Take yers sexual relations elsewheres and NOT at my lake, ye' hears me?" she yelled, sticking her nose in the air. Zelda wanted to kick the annoying, old hag.

"Listen, lady," she began, "We were NOT having 'sexual relations at yer here lake,' do _you_ hear? And also, this is NOT _your_ lake!" Afterwards, she felt very proud of herself. The old woman only shook her head at her.

"I is Olga Badolga. I _lives _here," she told the princess, "And who mights yous be?" Without hesitation, Zelda proudly proclaimed her title. "I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule," she declared. Hearing that, Olga began to laugh (which sounded more like a 'hee-haw' than an actual 'ha'). "Why, isn't that there where a certain feller named _Ganondorf_ has taken overs yer castle?" she bellowed, amusingly. Zelda frowned. Olga then turned from the princess to Link.

"And who is you, handsome?" she asked.

"Er..I'm Link," he replied. Olga nodded. "Wellers then, Link, why do yer come here at Lake Hylia?"

"We're…looking for a fairy."

She stomped her foot. "Great! Because yer looking at yer fairy lady," Olga said, and then motioned for the two to follow her. She led them to a small cottage at the other side of the lake. She opened the door and let them inside. To his astonishment, Link found himself in a room of tiny fairies, most in bottles. They reminded him of his first fairy from a while ago, Navi. However, these were not the fairies he was looking for.

Olga Badolga took a bottle and opened it, releasing a fairy that glowed pink. "Here yer goes, Link," she told him as the fairy flew to his side, "Hers name is Sprita." The thumb sized fairy flew around him in a circle. "She'll be yer lil' buddy."

"Hi!" Sprita proclaimed in a high-pitched feminine voice. Link chuckled, letting out the palm of his hand for the fairy to rest. However, Zelda stepped in. "He didn't mean _that_ sort of fairy," she told Olga rudely, "He wanted to know where he could find the Great Fairy."

Ignoring her discourtesy, Olga nodded as she understood. "I sees," she said, "You wants to find ther Great Fairy, eh? Well, I heards about hers being somewheres here, buts I never evers seed her. Can't help er there."

Link sighed. "Well, thank you for Sprita, ma'am," he said, "She'll be of good help." Olga couldn't help but grin at the young man. "Looks like what we's gots here is a charmer," she commented, "…Not too many charmers living anymores. You better keep yer eye on him, lil' girl." Zelda rolled her eyes. _Yeah…Link, a real lady killer. _As the two began to leave, Miss Badolga called out to them from her cottage. "Be carefuls, you two!" she yelled, "Lake Hylia isn't as safe as her used to be's!" Zelda was relieved when they finally were away from the old woman.

"What a nutcase!" she told Link as they walked alongside the lake. However, Link ignored her as he kept his eyes on his new companion: the fairy, Sprita.

The little lady flew around him curiously. "Where are we going?" her shrill voice said. "We're going to find the Great Fairy," he replied. Then, a tiny gasp was heard from Sprita. "You mean, _the_ Great Fairy?" she asked, "Wow! Miss Badolga always told me about her! I can't believe I'm finally going to be able to meet her!"

Already, Zelda began to get annoyed by the tiny creature with wings. She just wanted to step on her and rub her foot on the ground afterwards. Sprita just would not shut up and her voice was so high and piercing it made Zelda's eardrums about to burst. Now, they were walking around aimlessly, looking for some silly, half-naked fairy to receive a crystal from her.

It took them a while before they finally reached a great big boulder, which meant a dead end. Zelda grunted as she wrinkled her nose.

"WONDERFUL!" she yelled angrily, "We've been walking for ages, especially when we've could've used the damn horse, and now we have to turn ALL the way back around and start over!!! UGHH!" Out of anger, she kicked the boulder, and it began to crack. In an instant, an idea came to Link's mind, causing him to grin.

Out of his bag, he pulled out a bomb. Zelda's eyes widened as he lit it up and laid it down before the boulder right next to her.

"What the–"

The princess was interrupted when Link pushed her out of the way, and moments later, the bomb exploded.

After the smoke had cleared, there was now a new entrance. Link grabbed the princess's hand as he led her inside the newly discovered opening, Sprita following. At first, it was dark and creepy. Zelda was glued to Link's side as they continued going forward.

"Quit being such a baby," Link told her, and she smacked him. Link's new tiny companion was their only source of light. However, when they finally reached the end, a door stood in their way. Hurriedly, Zelda ran and tried to open it…but the entry was locked. Again, the aggravated princess began to yell.

"We came all this way to get to a damn locked door!"

Provoked, Link moved her out of the way. When he saw the circumstances, he shook his head.

"Only _you _would turn the knob the wrong way."

With saying that, he turned the handle and the door was opened. A brilliant flash of light hit them. Slowly, Link, Zelda, and Sprita entered. The room was so beautiful that not even Zelda was used to luxury this excellent. The ground seemed to be made of diamond, crystal, and glass. In the center, there was a tiny pond with a lovely fountain, shooting out fresh and crisp water. Link led the way as he approached the fountain, Sprita by his side as Zelda watched from a short distance.

Then, there was an enormous ray of light. Link had to squint his eyes as he saw the woman appear, flying in the center: the Great Fairy. She was certainly beautiful, with hot pink hair in many ponytails and a face with many lovely features. Sprita was especially thrilled to see her.

"Ah…I've been expecting you, Hero of Time."

First, there was a glow from her hands, and Link then felt the power fill his body. He looked down at his feet, and noticed his boots were different. "I have filled you with power and more strength. These are the Hover Boots," she explained, "As you remembered them last, they helped you walk on air for a few seconds…But, now you will be able to use the cuffs as blades."

The glow came again from the tips of her fingers. A red crystal appeared in the mid air. It dropped and Link hurried to catch it.

"This is the Heart's Eye Crystal," she explained, "When combined with the other two, it will give you the power you need to open up the barrier to Ganon's castle once again." Link thanked her just before Zelda rushed to the fairy.

"Excuse me!" Zelda cried out, "My magic…where…how?" The princess was at a loss for words. The Great Fairy only smiled at her. "Your magic stayed with me during the time of your rebirth, Princess," she explained, "And it shall now be returned to you." Zelda walked closer to the fountain as she felt the Great Fairy's hand touch her forehead. She could feel her powers returning to her at that moment and when she opened her eyes, she lifted up her hand and could see the twinkle of pink sparks arise from her finger tips. Things were starting to become normal once again.

"Before I go, I must tell you that a surprise I planted is waiting by the lake. I hope you find it!" she told them. Then, with a smile and a giggle, the Great Fairy twirled and vanished, leaving only the fountain, as it had previously been. Zelda was too ecstatic and overjoyed to notice that she had gone. Why should she care now? Her magic was returned to her! Link, however, was in a hurry to find his 'surprise' that awaited him by the lake.

"Princess, we have to go," he told her, grasping her hand. She followed him out of the secret passage way and back out to the mid-day light of Lake Hylia. They had to hurry, however, since nightfall would arrive in only a matter of hours. Link ran frantically, looking for anything that didn't seem familiar to him. Then, Zelda noticed something glowing an eccentric yellow amongst the grasses. "Er…Link!" she called out, "I think I found something!"

The boy hurried to her side. Thankfully, they had found what they had been looking for. Carefully, he picked the weapons up from the ground. In his hands now were a several light arrows and a mirror shield, that would reflect any magical attacks towards him. Alongside them were ten red rupees.

However, even though they had gotten the first crystal, they still had two more to go. Then, it would finally be time to face their adversary, Ganondorf himself. It was still only the beginning of their journey, and the rest was yet to come.

**********************************************

Even though he had only had domination of the castle for several days now, he began to become quite used to it. The man of great evil knew what he was getting into, and he couldn't wait until all the pieces of the puzzle were put together. He had the force of power, and all he needed now was wisdom and courage…The ones that lay in the hearts of Link and Zelda.

_Those toys are too much for those children to handle…_he thought to himself. But, he didn't worry too much about it. He knew that the foolish couple was trying to find a way to stop him, even at this second. He laughed at the mere thought of it, _Those imprudent kids don't know what they're getting themselves into. _In a way, the thought pleased him. He wouldn't mind to face one last duel with Link. It had been a while, hadn't it? The kid would die with honor.

Ganondorf waited for them to come, because he knew for certain that they would.

_Stupid kids…_he thought with a sinister smirk, _This will be the last journey of their lives._


	4. The Climax

**Three Months Later…**

**Part Three:**

**The Climax**

At the fourth month of her pregnancy, it started to become quite obvious that Zelda had another tiny person in her stomach…Her dress became very tight around her stomach area and it grew harder and harder for her to walk for a good amount of time. It also didn't help that Link was stalling, since they still hadn't found the second Great Fairy yet at Death Mountain, home of the Gorons. They slept at the inn in Kakariko Village as Link took the last few months to collect and buy more weapons, and, most importantly, practice, practice, practice.

Zelda watched him every morning as Link would step out of the Kakariko entrance to practice his capability of his sword fighting skills. He had gotten rather well at it, actually. She felt much safer knowing that Link would be there to protect her. Yes, she still had her magic. But that hadn't stopped Ganondorf the last time he imprisoned her in a crystal, and Link had to come to her rescue. He was a hero, a true hero. Link was the Hero of Time. And, thanks to Impa, she knew that this child would be as well.

A part of Zelda really didn't want to leave for Death Mountain, in any case. Those Gorons had always given her the creeps. They were all stout, large, and dull looking monsters of a light tannish-yellow color. But, if they were to find the next Great Fairy, Death Mountain would be a must for their subsequent destination.

The weight Zelda gained did not change how beautiful she still was. Even though his feelings and attractions for her were mixed, it was hard for Link to lay his eyes off of her. Everyday she seemed to become more and more radiant, and possibly more delicate and fragile as well.

Then, he found her arm wrestling at the bar.

He pushed past the crowd of people who had gathered around the table to watch. A pregnant woman and an over masculine chap grappling one another's arms. Link actually had almost found it to be unbelievable. But then he remembered that this was Zelda. Nothing was impossible with her. However, it didn't make what she was doing actually safe; even though it seemed that she was having a good time.

"Zelda!" he called out to her, hoping to get her attention. But, the woman had reached the culmination of the wrestle. She was sure that she was to win. His arm was getting weaker. But, when she accidentally let her arm rest for a mere second, the bulky man pinned her arm down and proclaimed victory. Angry, Zelda stood up.

"Well, you did pretty good…for a _woman_," the hefty stranger told her with a smirk, causing the princess to become even more infuriated. When the tips of her fingers began to glow pink, Link's eyes widened.

_Oh no, _he thought, _She better not…_

Zelda raised her hands up and the small pink sparks became large beams rays. The whole bar shrieked in fear of the powerful magic that was developing. Gasping, Link ran and picked the princess up, which caused her magic to cease from creating total destruction. Now, everyone was staring at them as Link carried the fuming princess out of the bar.

"Let me go!" she cried, "HIS LIFE IS MINE!"

When they were finally out and away from the Kakariko Bar, Link finally placed Zelda down. By then, she had already calmed. He looked at her for a moment, and then began to laugh. Only Zelda would arm wrestle a man twice her size while being pregnant. "You are so bizarre," he told her. Zelda smiled at him, feeling silly for the way she had acted. "I never met anyone like you," he continued, "…You're much different from other girls."

Zelda had no idea of what Link meant by his last statement or the intentions he had for saying it. She could feel his smile towards her. This made the princess feel warm, yet silmultaneously strange. They had never been on an actual adventure together before. Link was beginning to see Zelda's true personality outside of the castle walls and even high school. She wasn't the smarty pants nerd or the royal pain-in-the-butt. This princess was an actual person, an interesting one at that.

"Are you finally ready for Death Mountain?" he asked her, ending the moment of stillness. Zelda made a face, pouting her lip. "If we must…" she answered, "Just don't let any of those Gorons lay their gigantic hands on me." Link chuckled.

The trail to Death Mountain was actually in Kakariko Village. Though, for three months, he delayed the short travel. Every time he went there there was always trouble. Link had to be ready for whatever would await him. He still had time.

However, Death Mountain itself was a very dangerous place. As one walked along the Death Mountain Trail to Reach Goron City, many boulders would just roll on by. If someone was not careful, they may have gotten hit and squashed by those boulders. Link feared that he might jeopardize the princess's life if he were to try and take her to Death Mountain with him.

But, she was as stubborn as a mule. It was either her way, or the high way. Though, what did he expect from a spoiled rotten princess? Especially from one who's been locked up in the walls of the castle for so many years.

It was the next morning when Link decided that he was finally ready to head to once again visit Goron City. Even though it had been a while, he still remembered the route he had taken to get there. Follow the pathway, make a couple of turns, and, most importantly, ditch the boulders so they wouldn't squash his whole body into a pancake. Simple enough…to say, anyway.

That morning they left Kakariko Village and went up the stairs that led to the Death Mountain Trail. Link gave Zelda a stern look before their last step to the entrance. "Do _not_ leave my side," he told her, "at least until we get to Goron City. But, those Gorons will probably be rolling around the place as well. Just…just don't do anything stupid." Wrinkling her nose, Zelda nodded. She took his hand and together they entered Death Mountain Trail. It was a bit alarming at first, with many giant, hairy spiders roaming the area. Link managed to kill some of them, but Zelda still had the feeling that there were many more lurking out there, ready to pop out at any moment.

Then, there were those boulders. They just seemed to come unexpectedly. Several times, Link had to grab Zelda and swiftly move the both of them out of the way to avoid getting hit and crushed. There were also some boulders that were in the path's way, which meant that Link had to pick a bomb from his bag, ignite it as he left it by the rock, and then run away with the princess and Sprita as the bomb exploded. It took them a while before they actually made it into Goron City.

The moment she arrived, Zelda frowned. The city, obviously, was in a gloomy cave. It wasn't actually tidy and clean, and those Gorons were all over the place. Looking around, Link could see that the breed once again looked distressed. Letting go of Zelda's hand, he walked over to a fellow Goron who was merely sitting on the ground.

Instantly, Link was recognized. With joy, the Goron stood up and jumped, which caused a loud thump and bang. Trying to smile, or at least fake one, he accepted the Goron's hearty handshake.

"Link!" he yelled, "You're back! And just in time, too!" This seemed to interest the young man. "What's wrong now?" he asked it.

"He's taken over Death Mountain! A dragon named Kukoma!" The Goron exclaimed, "We really needed you. You are always there for us!" It was about to jump for joy, but Link purposely interrupted.

"Where is this Kukoma dragon?' he asked. "At the other side of the mountain," the Goron explained. Nodding, Link turned and walked back towards Zelda, who looked at him curiously. "So? What were you talking about?" she asked.

Link sighed. "It looks like the Gorons are in trouble again," he answered, "The Kukoma dragon has taken over Death Mountain." The princess bit both her lips. This was the worst possible time for this to happen. "Ganondorf probably sent it here," she suggested. "I'm sure he did," Link agreed, "He's most likely trying to find a way to stall or kill us off."

"Now what are we supposed to do?" she asked him. "Are we supposed to stay here in Goron City?" Link's reply was, "It looks like we have to." The princess was not at all pleased. "Are you serious, Link?" she questioned, "Do you really expect _me_ to stay in a place like this?"

"Now you sound racist," Link said, holding but a smirk. "I am NOT being racist," the princess argued, "I just don't really 'adore' this particular vicinity."

"Well, sometimes we have to sacrifice our obstinacy for doing what's right," Link answered nobly, which surprised Zelda. Usually he would be the one to complain about something that didn't suite him. Back on earth, he was the sly Luke Archer; pampered by his rich parents with designer Italian clothing, the greatest pairs of jeans, and a wonderful house. Now, here he was, a man in a short tunic without the riches the world here had to offer. Things were different for the princess as well. She had been Alice Elms, the middle class girl with a tremendous love for music. Her mother couldn't afford much for her, and she had been okay with that. But now, she recalled the treasures she was blessed with in Hyrule. Everything just seemed different.

***************************************************

Later on, Link had bought himself a new, but familiar, red tunic at the Goron Shop. It was called the Goron Tunic, made by the Gorons themselves. It would protect Link from much heat damage, since he would be battling a dragon soon to come. When Zelda saw him, she recalled Link wearing a similar tunic the day of her ball, the day everything had become out of control.

"I wish _I_ had a new outfit," she said, hinting around. But Link informed her that there weren't any clothes for ladies here in Goron City. This made the princess upset. "Well, Link, if you haven't noticed…I'm getting fat! I can't even breathe in this dress because it has gotten so tight on me!" Link gave a spurious, sympathetic look. "What's wrong with you girls?" he noted. "You're not fat, you look fine. In fact, you look _better_ with more meat on you. Your butt's bigger now."

She snapped at his remark. But, before she could respond, he just leisurely walked away.

The Gorons had gladly allowed them to temporarily reside in their city until the Kukoma dragon was banished and Link had found the Great Fairy. There wasn't really anywhere to stay, since it was only a cave and all the Gorons just seemed to 'hang around.' But, it was their only source of shelter, food, and the next crystal.

They were the only Hylians there among all Gorons, which was rather awkward. Link prepared for the following morning, when he would head out towards the opposing side of Death Mountain and face Kukoma. He broke the news to Zelda that she would not come with him for this one. "What?!" the princess exclaimed, "You can't! You–"

But, he didn't want to go over this again. "Zelda," he interjected, "We are not going to argue about this. Do you have a death wish?" Zelda opened her mouth to say something, but then abruptly closed it, knowing he was right this time. "What do you expect me to do here by my lonesome?" she asked, and Link smiled. "Make yourself some Goron friends." Zelda, however, wasn't as fond of the idea as Link was.

"Why is it only okay for you to risk death and not me?" she suddenly asked, a softness overtaking your voice. Link didn't hesitate to answer. "Because you're pregnant and I– " However, he did hesitate to finish.

"You what?" Zelda wondered. Link shook his head. "Nothing," he replied. He then leaned his face peculiarly close to hers, to the point where she could feel his hot breath hit her neck, her arms trembling at his heat.

"But you must stay here," he whispered tenderly to her. "Don't worry, I'll be back."

The princess began to worry.

"What if something happens?" she asked him, "At least with my magic I would maybe be of some aid." Link came closer to her now and looked down at the princess. At that moment, Zelda had no clue of Link's present intentions. Their noses seemed to touch

"You might be able to help here," he said, "…Without getting into any trouble, you could look for the Great Fairy." Zelda smiled, knowing that she would have a job of her own to fulfill. "Fine," she agreed, and they shook on it.

Zelda awoke the following morning to find a Goron staring at her only a few inches away from her face. Flinching up, she screamed. The Goron made quite a sad noise.

"I'm sorry, Princess," he apologized, "I just couldn't help but notice how pretty you were." She relaxed, quite flattered at the Goron's compliment. "Where's Link?" she asked him, stretching her arms as she yawned.

"He left a little while ago," answered the Goron. "He told me to tell you that. He also told me to be your guide for the day, you know, to help you find that crystal of yours." Zelda frowned. _He could've at least waited until I woke up before he left, _she thought. "Your boyfriend must really care for you," the Goron added, "He was real insistent on you being safe."

"He's not–" Zelda began to say, but then decided that it was no big deal.

"So, what's your name?" she asked him. "Dingo," he answered. Zelda smiled at the Goron with the peculiar name. "Well, Dingo," she began, "what do you Gorons eat around here?" Dingo seemed to become excited. "Oh, well, here in Goron City we have the finest delicacies of insects you could imagine!" Suddenly, Zelda wasn't that hungry anymore.

"Let's just go ahead and look for that fairy," she insisted, and she and the Goron roamed the city. _I wonder how Link's doing…_the princess couldn't help but ponder.

**********************************************************

One false move and he would be dead.

Link was now at the edge of a cliff, approaching the designated side of the mountain. He tried to walk across carefully, so he would not fall. He had everything he needed with him: Goron's tunic, hover boots, arrows, bombs, the Mirror Shield, and the Master Sword…and, Sprita, of course.

"Be wary, Link!" the fairy warned him, "This cliff is very steep!" _No kidding, _he thought, exhausted from walking and climbing for so many hours. They were so close to reaching the fiery cave, and Link convinced himself that he was ready to take on the deadly dragon.

He slowly moved away from the cliff and found himself on another pathway. He had his sword ready for any predators that were to come his way…or, perhaps, rolling boulders like the one that was progressing towards him now.

His eyes widened at the enormous size of it. "Link, watch out!" Sprita cried out. Just in the nick of time, he jumped and dodged the boulder. He stood and watched the massive rock roll away, sighing a breath of relief.

"That was close…" he said to himself.

Of course, it was a major jinx.

After those words left his mouth, about a dozen more boulders came rolling down his way, this time coming at him more speedily, faster. Link could not believe what was happening. It wasn't as if they were in a nice, straight line. They were all over the place!

He attempted to evade them, one by one, but found it hard to do as one ran over his foot and almost his entire leg. It was then when he found a hole in the mountainside and quickly jumped in. He didn't come out until he made sure that every boulder had passed him by. Without saying anything that would further bring him bad luck, he walked out and sustained going down the path he was on, now running as Sprita flew beside him. It suddenly began to feel very hot and humid, and that let Link know that he was about to approach the lava-filled cave…where the Kukoma dragon had chosen to inhabit and claim…

**********************************************************

Zelda and Dingo continued to look for the Great Fairy, but didn't have much luck in the process. It felt as if they had looked all over Goron City, and not yet found anything that even seemed like the Great Fairy would be hidden in. Now, Zelda's stomach began to grumble like crazy.

_I can't just not eat anything all day, _she thought, _…but bugs aren't exactly what I call appetizing and nutritious. _Dingo began to notice the look of hunger in the princess's face. "Princess, would you like to eat something?" he asked. Zelda shook her head, "Um, no thank you. Insects aren't a part of my diet." The Goron did not seem offended at all.

"Why, that's okay," Dingo said, "We've got some delicious red berries here in Goron City. Let me go find you some." For a few minutes, he left her alone. Upon returning, Dingo brought to the princess a basket full of red berries. These looked very appetizing to Zelda. As Dingo handed her the basket, Zelda tried a one of the small, bright red fruits. Her eyes widened as she savored the juices in her mouth. "These are so palatable!" she exclaimed, and before she knew it, the whole basket was gone. After the emptiness in her stomach was filled, they continued on.

The Great Fairy was not at all an easy lady to find. When she hid, she hid very well. To Zelda, it seemed almost impossible to locate her. _Damn fairy, _she thought, feeling quite agitated. _Where the hell are you? _The search persisted, and it lasted for several hours. Zelda was just about ready to give up this escapade that seemed to be taking her nowhere.

"Princess," Dingo began, "I think we might have to head out of Goron City and onto Death Mountain Trail. It doesn't look like there are any fairies around here." Zelda nodded. She knew that Link would be upset with her is she went beyond the borders of Goron City, but Impa did say that the Great Fairy was in fact in _Death Mountain_ and not in Goron City. She was only doing what was requested of her. There was no harm in that. Besides, Dingo was there to help protect her against some maybe freak rolling boulder accident.

So, they left Goron City and found themselves back in the open Death Mountain Trail. Instantly, boulders came rolling towards them. Panting, Zelda jumped out of the way, and then was totally surprised when Dingo picked her up and began running frantically.

"What are you doing?!" she yelled, but the Goron ignored her. He successfully managed to run past the boulders and finally released the startled princess when all seemed to be safe again.

"Er…thank you," she said to him, and Dingo nodded. "Link gave me strict orders to keep you safe," he explained his actions. _Right…I'm sure he did._

Now, here they were, at Death Mountain. It was late afternoon and they weren't even close at finding the clandestine fairy. Feeling tired, the princess leaned against a still boulder. She was startled when the boulder began to move. Instantaneously, she moved away, and then she began to see a hidden passageway appear from the boulder's concealing spot.

"Dingo!" she exclaimed, "Look! Move this boulder for me!" And Dingo obeyed the princess's orders. Without much of a hassle, the Goron pushed the large rock out of the way, revealing the unknown itinerary. Immediately, they entered into the dark cave.

Slowly, Princess Zelda and Dingo walked through the tunnel. It was pretty difficult, since they weren't really able to see where they were going. They had harshly bumped into a wall, hitting their faces. "I guess there's a turn here," Zelda observed. She made a left. BUMP! Afterwards, she made a right and it was safe. Dingo followed her.

It was as if it were a maze. Probably was. Zelda did not particularly enjoy being in front, since she kept smashing her face numerous times. They made another right, then a left, and finally kept going forward until they reached a door. Hastily, Zelda tried to open it. Again, the handle wouldn't budge.

"No!" Zelda cried out, stomping her foot in aggravation as a mad grunt fled her mouth. "I did not come all this way for nothing!" It was then when the Goron moved in front of the princess.

Then, he punched the door.

"What are you doing?!" Zelda gasped. However, Dingo was able to turn the knob and the door was opened. Thankfully, Zelda entered the unknown room with Dingo.

They had found it.

The two had arrived to Great Fairy Fountain.

*************************************************************

Without any feeling of ease, Link stepped foot inside the cavern. It was a grotto filled with lava, fire, and anything else that was as hot as could be. The young man began to sweat from the overbearing heat. Seeing Link's exhaustion, Sprita flew around him to try and keep him cool. Yet, it only aided a little bit.

Slowly, he walked around the area. Strange noises could be heard from all around. Gulping, he did not know what to expect from all this. Yet, he did know this venture was a matter of life or death. He prayed that it would result in life.

Sprita stayed close to Link, even afraid herself. "Link…" she began,"…I don't have a very good feeling about–THIS!!!"

There was an enormous bang. Link jumped and looked behind him. His eyes expanded the moment he saw what the cause of the clatter was. Only able to gasp, being at a loss for words. Out of the lava rose the one of the largest creatures he had ever seen.

The Kukoma dragon.

Flames burst out of the monster's nostrils. Anxiously, Link dodged the blaze that was headed straight towards him. _This is it_, he thought as he drew his sword and shield from behind him, _It's time I must prove myself worthy of fighting Ganondorf. _It seemed as if Kukoma was smirking at him, knowing that it would successfully defeat the man who was only a small portion of his size. But Link was determined to prove it wrong.

"Link, be careful!" Sprita cried. It was then when Kukoma began to exhale fire all about the room. Link tried to avoid the flames, but couldn't escape the burns he receieved.

He took his bow and arrow out, shooting at the dragon. Victoriously, the attempt was worthwhile, as Kukoma hissed loudly in pain, the ear-piercing shriek filling the entire cave.

Link's short moment of pride delayed him. Kukoma instantly reared towards him and a blast of fire emerged from its mouth. As he avoided the attack with his shield, this did not stop Kukoma's fire-breathing frenzy. The dragon was on a role, exhaling flames all over the place. Again, Link was burned, and he yelled out in pain as he felt the terrible sting on his leg.

"Damn it!" he cried out, but knew he could not pay too much attention to it, since Kukoma would try and take advantage.

Thinking quick, Link thought of another plan. As the dragon approached him, this time, the young hero pierced its eye with the Master Sword. Kukoma screeched, blinded from the stab. Instantly, Link began to stab it like a madman, repeatedly over the vains of its massive eye. Yet, Kukoma was able to see again, and Link backed away as it once again to breathe out hazardous flames.

He shot another arrow at the dragon, and then another. Kukoma once again hissed from the pain, revealing its slithery tongue. He flipped himself away as Kukoma aimed a blaze towards him. Catching the dragon off guard, Link used his sword to cut through it. Blaring a loud screech, Kukoma immediately turned around, as it fell to the lava.

Silence engulfed the following moments. It appeared eerie, uncanny. Yet, Link relaxed himself, sighing a breath of relief as he thought he had defeated the Kukoma dragon.

"Good riddance."

Kukoma rose once again, with screeches so shrilling and severe Link had to cover his ears, his eyes closed harshly as he struggled to even stand. The dragon had become mad, more willing to fight, more determined to kill. Kukoma began to rashly spring up and down repeatedly. There was chaos all over the cave, shaking the area madly, like an earthquake.

Rocks were falling and hitting various places. Fire and lava filled the area. Link could not believe what was taking place. He tried shooting another arrow, but Kukoma was not affected by it. It only swung its tail at the boy, causing his sword to fly out of his hand. It swung again, this time pinning Link to the ground, injuring him.

He wanted to get up, even tried, but his body was too weak. All he could see was black. It seemed as if everything was a dream. He felt the heat on his body, throbbing his flesh.

"Link!" Sprita yelled, flying around his face, "Get up! Please! I know you can make it!" But, all the energy was drained out of his body. Too much heat. He just could not take it. The heat had finally gotten to him…

Instead of looking around in awe as she had done the last time, Princess Zelda scrambled her way towards the fountain. Dingo stayed by the door and waited for her. When Zelda reached the area with the purified water, she knelt down. She then pulled out the Heart's Eye Crystal they had received from the previous Great Fairy at Lake Hylia. The second the crystal was revealed, there was a heavenly flash of red light.

Zelda shut her eyes closed and when she opened them again, the Great Fairy. She looked just like the previous one, except her hair was red instead of a vibrant pink. She smiled when she laid eyes on the princess of Hyrule. "Good evening," the lady in the midair greeted her, "I've been anticipating your arrival."

"I have come for the second stone," Zelda said, getting right to the point. The Great Fairy gallantly nodded her head. "Very well then, Princess," she granted, and with the tips of her fingers there appeared another beautiful gem. It was of a vivacious green color. It dropped and fell onto Zelda's lap.

"This is the Heart's Soul Crystal," the fairy explained, "When you are capable to receive the last, you will be able to open the seal to Ganon's castle."

Ecstatically, Zelda replied, "Thank you!"

"You must now hurry. You are greatly needed."

A very baffled looks suddenly appeared on Zelda's face, as she hastily stood and held the gems against her chest. Her dark blonde eyebrows rose in anticipation. "What do you mean?"

"You must hurry!"

With saying those last words, the Great Fairy vanished, leaving behind several more rupees and more light arrows. Hurriedly, Zelda took them and the crystal as she went back to Dingo.

"Did you get what you needed?" he asked her, and Zelda nodded.

"Yes, but we must go!" she exclaimed. Now, Dingo was the one to become confused. "Is there something wrong?" the Goron asked.

_I think I know now what the Great Fairy meant…_ "We need to go, NOW!"

Dingo decided to stop asking questions and follow the princess's instructions. With Zelda in the lead, they once again headed off.

_I hope I will make it on time, _was the last thought that ran through Zelda's head as they ran out of the tunnel and were once again on the Death Mountain Trail.

****************************************************

Link forced himself to stand up, but fell back down to the ground. Kukoma was still on a rampage and he was unable to stop him. Sprita tried to recover him, but her powers were limited due to the intense heat. He knew that this had to be it. The end. Now he would finally know how it felt like to be on his death bed, approaching the closing stages of his life.

"Link, please try to get up!" Sprita cried worriedly, "You can't fall asleep or you will _die_!"

However, Link was still unable to see clearly as black spots blurred his vision. It was so hot and the pain was so unbearable. He had tried so many times to get back on his feet, but failed. He also knew that he was about to let everyone down, especially Princess Zelda, all of Hyrule…and his unborn child, the one who was to follow his footsteps. He had not only failed at being a hero, but also being a good father as well.

Slowly, his eyes began to drop…

"LINK!"

Without delay, his lids burst wide open. There, from a short distance, he saw Princess Zelda and a Goron. They immediately ran towards him, the princess panting as she sprinted in her dress. Zelda's eyes were filled with tears as she embraced the young man, trying to sit him up.

"The Great Fairy told me that you were in trouble," she said to him, his head on her lap as she embraced his cheeks. Before anyone could speak any further, Kukoma screeched, taking Zelda by surprise. The princess shrieked when she was almost hit by the flame.

"Zelda, you need to get out of here," Link managed to tell her, with a hoarse, shaky voice. "You are going to get your self killed."

"If you die Link, you won't die alone!"

Before Link could stop her, the princess stood and ran towards the dragon. At that moment, Link's heart began to beat vehemently as he feared for Zelda's life.

"Hey, Kukoma!" she called out obnoxiously. The dragon turned to face her and snarled. "You think you're so tough, huh?!" she yelled with a smirk, her dainty hands placed securely at her hips.

"Well, I'll bet you can't handle _my_ magic!"

She didn't say anything else. Instead, the confident woman raised her arms up and an enormous ball of burning light started to form in her hands as she concentrated on her power. Kukoma gasped as the ball grew larger. With a massive yelp, Zelda released the orb and shot it straight at him.

Kukoma screeched for the final time.

At first, everything resulted into a total turmoil. The cave began to rumble and hefty rocks started to plummet down. Zelda ran back towards Link. "I did it!" she cried, "I–"

"That's great, Zelda," Link interrupted weakly, "But, if you haven't noticed, the cave is about to collapse!"

"Well, can you get up?" she asked, trying to help him up gently. He attempted, but only fell back down in even greater pain.

"Link! Please! You have to get up! I can't leave you here!"

"Princess, you need to leave. It's stupid for the both of us to die."

Dingo listened to them go back and forth, arguing on the subject. Yet, suddenly, the Goron smiled and lifted Link up into his arms. Then, he lifted Zelda. Even though it felt very awkward, Link did not utter a single word.

"Okay!" Zelda exclaimed, "Let's get going!"

Link, Zelda, Dingo, and Sprita began to rapidly escape from the cavern, which was now caving in on them. A flaming rock suddenly appeared in front of them, but Zelda soon destroyed it with her magic. After several minutes, they had made it safely out. They watched from afar as the area burned along with Kukoma inside.

Dingo placed Link down, and Zelda allowed him to lean on her for the time being. "We did it…" she whispered, "…Kukoma's dead." Then, she looked at Link. "I can't believe you risked your life for that," she told him with a smile, "…Thank you, Link."

"Why are you thanking me? _You're _the one who finished him off."

Zelda giggled, quite proud of herself for that.

"Did you find the Great Fairy?" he asked her. Happily, she took out the gemstone, the Heart's Soul Crystal. Link smiled softly at her. "It looks like you're on a role today, huh?"

"I guess you could say that."

Then, she looked over at Dingo and ironically smiled at the Goron. She possibly had made a friend today after all…

************************************************

Upon returning to Goron City, The Gorons were ecstatic from the news that Kukoma had been defeated. They partied for the rest of the night.

"Hurray for Link!"

"He has saved us once again!"

Though, Link could not hog all the credit for himself. He knew that if it wasn't for Princess Zelda, he'd be lying dead in Kukoma's cavern. He announced to the Gorons that if they had anyone to thank, it was the beautiful lady standing right beside him. Even the princess herself was surprised at his act of consideration for her.

However, the lad was still injured from his battle with the fire-breathing monster. When Zelda checked his wounds, she found many burns and cuts on his thighs. "It looks like we'll be here a couple of days before we journey to Gerudo Valley," she commented. Zelda smiled at the man who was sitting on the floor beside her. "Are you feeling okay?" she asked, scooting closer to him.

"I think I'll live."

Her smile warmed towards him, as she leaned her face closer to his. She noticed his eyes close as her mouth brushed against his lips lightly, her breath sweet, her scent heavenly. Before she could push her mouth closer to his in a secure lock, Dingo arrived and handed the princess another basketful of berries. "I thought that you two might be hungry after this long, eventful day," the Goron suggested, "I'll be on my way now." As he left, Zelda drooled over the appetizing victuals before her. She began to eat, but then noticed Link staring at her. "I'm sorry," she asked with her mouth full, "Are you hungry?"

"No thanks babe," he teased. "I'm not the one who's pregnant."

Zelda smiled as she wrinkled her nose at him. "Shut up," she teased, putting a berry into his mouth. The feeling of his lips on her finger tips was so…_Stop it. _She ceased her thoughts about Link to go any further. But, she couldn't help but feel any other way when she was near him.

Could she…Could she be falling in love again?

For a while longer, she stared into his eyes. It made a shiver run down her spine and her heart tingle. At that moment, her body begged her to just reach over and kiss his lips. But she couldn't do that. She would not bring upon them any more discomfort than there already was.

All they had left was to find the last heart crystal. Gerudo Valley would be their next stop, Ganondorf's birthplace. They were so close to finishing this journey that it had befallen as unbelievable to the princess.

Afterwards…They would face Ganondorf for the last and ultimate time. The fate of Hyrule was in their hands. They had come so far already, giving up would not be an option.

********************************************************

Three days passed, and by then, Link's wounds began to heal. It was finally time for them to say good-bye to the Gorons. Dingo was disappointed that the princess had to leave so soon.

"Are you sure that you can't stay any longer?" the hopeful Goron asked her. Sadly, Zelda shook her head. "Sorry, Dingo," she replied, "But we've got something really important that we need to accomplish." And so, they said their farewells, and Link and Zelda found themselves back on Death Mountain Trail and back to Kakariko Village.

Link found Epona waiting for him by the entrance to the town. First, he helped the princess onto the horse, and then hopped on as well. They then began to ride back out into Hyrule Fields, where they would find their way to Gerudo Valley, the area where the next Great Fairy would be at.

Gerudo Valley was a desert not too far from Lake Hylia. Only one man would be born per one-hundred years, meaning that the barren region was infested with women. It was also where Ganondorf had had born at; his descent. Link and Zelda didn't know too much about the area. Link had been there few times, so he knew that he would be recognized, making the trip a lot more productive.

As they wandered the fields, a smirk appeared on Link's face. "So…what's been going on between you and that Goron friend of yours?" he asked her.

Zelda blushed crimson red. "…Nothing."

"He seems to really like you."

"I don't blame him."

Link sighed. Unfortunately, he wasn't really going anywhere with this. However, he wasn't ready to give up so soon. "Is he your new boyfriend?" he badgered. Though, the princess found it to be more serious than him just pulling her leg.

"Excuse me?" she replied sternly, "Do you really believe that I would have an affair with a big, smelly Goron?!"

Link couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. Still upset, she smacked the back of his head. "Sometimes you are so immature," she continued, crunching her face in aggravation.

"You read too much into everything," Link stated, "You are always so serious and pompous. And i know you're making that face again. You get all these wrinkles when you do it. It's really gross."

"No, I'm not!"

Link smiled once more.. He loved getting on the young woman's nerves. It seemed to give him this really quirky feeling inside. It was one of his major idiosyncrasies. Zelda, on the other hand, did not enjoy it as much as Link did.

"I should have left you to die in that damn cave."

Link's smile grew into a broad grin. He didn't say anything.

"I saved _you_, you know. You are so ungrateful."

Silence.

"I mean, I GIVE, and I GIVE, and I GIVE!"

Link couldn't hold the quietness any longer. The boy began to laugh feverishly. Zelda was not at all amused. Again, she hit him. "Shut up!" she proclaimed, but it didn't stop him from letting out a couple of chuckles after the fact.

"You're making that face again."

"Shut up."

For a moment, he repositioned himself to look at the girl behind him. "You really shouldn't," he said softly, his grin transforming into a soft smile. "You're much too pretty."

Zelda blushed at his comment, silenced by his simple words.

Before they knew it, they had already made it to Gerudo Valley. It was not at all far away, thankfully. Upon arriving there, Link and Zelda (along with tiny Sprita) stepped off Epona. The bridge across was very narrow. _Narrow_ narrow, as in tightrope thin. Link wondered how he and the princess would make it across without falling into the lake that was underneath of it. He turned around and looked at her. "Are you well balanced?" he asked.

"I guess so."

"Good."

Then, letting his arms out, he carefully walked across. Zelda watched him with wide eyes as he walked with much ease and grace. Stubbornly, she decided to go right after him. She lifted her arms up now, and then she tried to do the same.

"WHOAH!"  
Regaining her balance, she began walking again. Link was worried for her, but still couldn't help but smile. Again, she almost tripped, but she still managed to resume stability. And, finally, she made it across. Link sighed. "It's about time," he commented. Zelda only wrinkled her face at him.

Before them were the peaceful deserts of Gerudo Valley. From a short distance, women stood and watched the two new comers. A commotion began to arise. Link and Zelda looked at each other, wondering what all the fuss was about. They began to walk around the valley, trying to get accustomed to the area.

However, they did not seem approved by the people of Gerudo Valley. Especially Zelda could feel the tension from how the women stared at them as they walked by.

Everywhere, the Gerudo women were giving them icy, cold stares. Their gawks severed through them.

"I don't feel very welcomed," she said, but Link shook his head. "Don't be silly," he reassured her, "Everything will be fine.

"Stop right there, you two!"

Startled, they obeyed orders.

Two women, each on their own horse, suddenly came to them. Simultaneously, they stepped off of their horses and observed Link and Princess Zelda. "You are under arrest," one woman, with a long pony-tail proclaimed. Then, the other one, a female with long straight hair, pointed to Zelda.

"Except you," she added on, "You're free to go."

"What?" Zelda asked, quite baffled. Both of the women now surrounded Link, taking his arms and clasping them together beside him. "What's going on?!" he asked the ladies, "We just came here!"

"Have you not heard of the laws, man?" the pony-tailed woman asked him. The straight-haired lady continued from there. "The law states that no men are allowed to come to Gerudo Valley unless they are Gerudo men. Only women have the right to visit." A small, but not very innocent, smile formed on Zelda's lips, even though she didn't really want it to appear. Link, however, did not like that idea at all.

"What?!" he exclaimed, "That's ridiculous!" However, the women only shook their heads at him. "Sorry," they replied, "But the law is the law."

"Link! I thought you said you've been here before!"

But, he could not answer her. The policewomen tied his hands with a rope and forced him onto one of their horses. Zelda watched as they rode away, leaving only her and Sprita in the midst of the desert.

"This is really bad," Zelda observed, "This is one of those times I _wouldn't_ root for the feminists." But, now what would she do? Here she was, alone, with a little annoying fairy with her. She also didn't know where to go from here.

"Now what do we do?" Sprita asked, "Link is in trouble!" _Stupid fairy, _Zelda thought, _She thinks she's so noble. _"Does it look like I know what to do?" Zelda replied cantankerously.

"You helped Link last time in the cavern," Sprita continued, "Can't you think of something?"

"I don't know…Could we bail him out?"

"How many rupees do you have?"

Opening Link's bag, she looked inside. She counted two-hundred, twenty-five all together. "225," she answered, "But I'm sure it will cost a lot more. Link committed a serious crime, remember? He was a _man_." Even Sprita could not help but laugh at the princess's remark.

"I think we should still try at least."

"Whatever, fairy."

They walked around Gerudo Valley and began asking some of the women if they knew where the jail cells were. However, they would not give her an answer. They would say things like, "Here in Gerudo Valley, a secret is a secret." These prudish women were really starting to get on her nerves. The princess even began begging one of the ladies.

"Go away, little girl," was her response to the princess's behavior. But, at that moment, Zelda wasn't ready to take 'no' for an answer.

"Listen here, _little girl,_" she began to tell the Gerudo off with a stern voice, "I don't care if you give a crap or not. My boyfriend is locked up somewhere because of your valley's stupid man-hating laws, and I need to know where to find him. No wonder you bitches are always so crabby because you never get LAID. You are going to tell me where the jail cells are and you are going to tell me _now._ Just because you've never been with a man because you think you're too good for them doesn't mean that you can lock up the first guy you see wandering around here! So, you better let go of your ludicrous ideas of sexism for just a moment and tell me where I should look for him. _Now_!"

Even Sprita could not believe the words that had come out of the princess's mouth. The Gerudo woman looked at her with an alarmed face. What she did next, Zelda was appreciative of. "They take the men to the building over _there_," she finally replied, extending her arm to point to the designated area. "But they won't let him out that easy."

"Thank you."

Just as Zelda was about to leave, the woman stopped her by tapping her shoulder. The princess turned around and gave her a raised brow look that asked, "What?"

"How does it feel like….?" She timidly asked, "…Being with a real man?"

Zelda thought of how she would answer this question with all aspects of the truth. "Sometimes, you feel as if you are living a dream. Everything is so warm…so soft. It seems that the both of you were meant to be." The Gerudo woman, smiled. Unfortunately, Zelda's soft expression soon changed. "But, then there are the other times," she continued, "when you feel as if you want to choke him or smack him upside the face."

"Then why are you with him?"

She didn't know what to say. Technically, she wasn't _with_ him romantically at that time. Zelda didn't even know if he liked her at all since the rebirth. All she said in response was, "Because I…. Listen, I really need to get going." Without a proper conclusion, the princess then sprinted away from the curious woman.

Of course, she quickly ran out of breath. "I can't do this," she said in between heavy pants. Zelda knew that the only way of getting there was by walking, and that idea didn't please her very much. "Can't you do anything, fairy?" she asked Sprita, "What kind of help are you?"

"Just because you're fat doesn't mean you can blame me."

"Back on earth, we called this _thick_, you stupid little glow in the dark pixie stick."

Indeed, the walk was rather tiresome. But, it wasn't long until she began to see the medium-sized buildings where the men's jail cells were. There were two (female, of course) guards standing by the doors. Preparing herself for the encounter, Zelda forced a phony, sweet smile on her lips. "Good day," she greeted, but the women sneered. Zelda bit her lips, becoming nervous.

"Um…is it all right if I visit a prisoner?"

"No."

She was surprised at how quick the response was. "Well, can I bail him out? I have rupees with me," she suggested. Again, the answer was unchanged. "You cannot." Zelda grunted. _Absurd broads, _she thought. Though, she was still persistent.

"Please?" she begged, "It would only take a moment."

"Go away!"

Out of frustration, she stomped her foot. "How long do you plan on keeping him there, you freaky bimbos?! Let me IN!" The ladysentinels first looked at one another, and then back at Zelda. "We asked you to leave. We _won't _ask you again."

"As the princess and future queen of Hyrule, and EXPECTING MOTHER, I order you to let me through!"

The guards relentlessly covered the doors. "_Good day, _Miss."

Angrily, Zelda stormed off. "UGHH!" she yelled, "This is getting me nowhere!" Sprita flew in a circle around the perturbed and aggravated princess. "I have an idea," the teensy fairy suggested.

"What?" she snapped back.

"We could always…sneak inside."

Zelda's lips formed into a knowing smile. Sprita couldn't help but feel proud of herself at that instant; she was experiencing a _Zelda moment. _

"Actually," the princess observed, "…that isn't such a bad idea." Without delay, Zelda began looking around the jail house, trying not to bee seen by any of the guards. Out of Link's bag she took out his bow and arrow. From a distance, she shot at a female guard, causing the woman to collapse on the ground.

Sprita gasped. "You might have killed her!" she exclaimed. Zelda only shrugged her shoulders.

"Nobody will know that _I_ did it," was her logic.

Zelda went off again, shooting an arrow at another guard. The woman was on a role. She had injured at least three guards by the time she found a door at the back of the building. Slowly, she stepped inside.

"Hey! What are you doing here?!"

"Uh oh," Zelda whispered to herself when she had entered the room full of at least a dozen guards. All at once, they began to head towards her. With a gulp, the princess took careful steps backwards, but knew she had hit a dead end.

"Zelda, do something!" Sprita exclaimed.

"Um..." she stumbled, glaring around at the women who were ready to tackle her. Swiftly so, she raised her hands up and let her magic take over. The bright pink erupted in the room, hitting each and every one of the guards, paralyzing their now weakened bodies.

"Bye, girls!"

Several irksome flights of stairs followed.

"Come on, come on! Hurry!" Sprita urged.

The princess had become out of breath. "Would you shut up! This is as fast I can go!"

Afterwards, she found herself in another room. As she walked along, she smiled, seeing the jail cells full of men. They seemed happy to see her as well.

"Baby, let me out of here!"

"I could make you such a happy woman!"

"Open these cells up, sweet thing!"

With her eyes narrowed and an unamused scowl planted on her face, Zelda ignored the desperate men, her arms planted firmly at her sides as she continued down the stalls. She was overjoyed when she finally found the man she was looking for.

"Link!" she exclaimed as she ran towards his cell. "I'm so happy you're okay!" Link was glad to see her as well, clasping his hands with hers through the bars. "How did you know where to find me?" he asked, and then paused, "…How did you even _get _here?"

"That bow and arrow _really_ came in handy."

Link raised an eyebrow, surprised that Zelda would behave in such a manner. "Now, how am I supposed to get you out of here?" she asked him. Link swiftly searched the area with his eyes, and then beamed at his discovery.

"Zelda, look, behind you! The keys!"

Instantly, she turned to find a set of gold keys on a hook. Briskly, the princess unlock the cell, and after trying to figure out which key to use, Link was finally released. Right away and without thinking, she embraced him in a tight, affectionate hug, her grip on him firm. Flabbergasted at first, he hugged her back, feeling her body tremble against him. His hold on her was more soft, less compact as her embrace on him was. But, Sprita had to interrupt the special moment.

"We need to hurry, you two. There are still many guards in the building!" the fairy exclaimed. Quickly, Zelda spotted a window. A crazy thought ran through her head. "Link, I think I have an idea," she stated.

"What?"

"We can jump out the window."

"WHAT?"

But, she didn't discuss it any longer. Instead, she ran and opened the window. Zelda looked down at the long jump they would take. "Link, you have to go first," she exclaimed, "so you can catch me when I fall." This was unbelievable.

"Zelda, are you insane?" he asked, coming towards her, and then looking down at the incredible view as well. "Are you _trying_ to get us killed?!"

But, she only ignored him as she pushed him out the window.

Sprita flew out after him, using some of her magic to make his fall safer. He landed on his rear-end with a loud thump. Before he could have even a second to regain himself, down came Zelda coming right at him.

_Oh no, oh no, oh no, _he repetitively thought as he saw the princess heading down towards him. He held out his hands and closed his eyes. Finally, he fell back on the ground as Zelda plummeted down into his arms.

"We did it!" Zelda exclaimed happily, raising her arms in triumph as Link lied helplessly on the ground with Zelda sitting on his stomach.

"Zelda...I can't...breathe."

Placing her fingertips cautiously over her mouth, she quickly stood, helping Link up as well,

"Now, we need to look for the last Great Fairy!"

Link, on the other hand, did not seem as exuberant as the princess.

"Zelda, we've only been here for less than a day and, already, I've been arrested, broken free, and shoved out a window by you!" he exclaimed, "Can't we at least take a break?"

Zelda wrinkled her nose at him. "Yeah, so the snotty Gerudo women can take another look at you and send you off into jail again?" she commented. Link merely grinned, stroking his smooth chin in a cocky manner.

"I can't help it if I'm just too good-looking for those ladies to handle."

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Whatever, beautiful," she replied, "But the point is, we can't be loitering around here. We have to try hard not to be seen by these women. They will get suspicious." Knowing she was right, Link could not disagree with Zelda. She did, after all, posses the Triforce of Wisdom.

Zelda then eyed the surroundings. "Where do you think we should go?" she asked him, "Since you've been here before…That's why you probably were arrested." Link sighed at her sarcasm.

"I think I know where we need to look," he hinted.

"Where?"

"Follow me."

Without giving her the chance to respond, Link grabbed her hand and began to run. "Where are you taking me?" she asked, rapidly forcing him to stop, "Tell me now!"

"The Haunted Wasteland."

Zelda gave him a strange look. "The Haunted What?"

"The Haunted Wasteland."

"What's that?" she asked him. "It's a desert in Gerudo Valley," he explained, "Though, once you enter, you immediately become lost." Zelda didn't like the sound of that. "And why would you suppose that the Great Fairy would be there?" she asked him.

"Because I do."

Zelda only shook her head at him. "How far are we from there?"

"Just look ahead."

And she did. But all she saw was an entrance. "Link, stop acting stupid," she told him, but he wasn't joking. "All I see is a couple of pieces of wood put together. Nothing more," she added on. Link, still holding her hand, slowly walked forward towards the entrance.

"Link, I don't know why we are doing this! This is so–"

But, Princess Zelda was unable to finish, since her sentence was interrupted by her gasp. The moment they walked through, a major gust of wind took over, blinding their vision. When they were able to see again, they seemed to be in the middle of nowhere as the wind blew sand in the air. Zelda began to panic.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?"

"We're in the Haunted Wasteland, duh."

"What?! Ughh!" she exclaimed, kicking some sand in the air, "Great, now we're stranded here. Thanks a lot, Link!" Though, he wasn't upset by it at all. "We'll be fine," he ensured her, "Though…there are some poes that might pop up."

With wide eyes, Zelda gawked at him. "You didn't mention that before!" she cried.

"Well, you didn't ask. Why do you think it's called the _Haunted_ Wasteland?"

Zelda groaned again, but this time it came more from fear than of anger. She pinned herself to his side. "Sometimes you really get on my nerves," she told him.

"It's alright," he said back, "You get on my nerves, too."

"Let's just go and look for the damn fairy. This place is beginning to give me the creeps."

It was another hard walk, since they were going against the strong winds. Even Sprita had a hard time flying. Of course, Zelda had other things on her mind.

"I'm hungry." Link rolled his eyes at her. "Well, I am!" she exclaimed, "I'm pregnant, you know."

He sighed. "Well, you're going to have to wait, Princess," he replied, "I just can't magically make food appear and–"

"FOOD!"

"What?" Link asked as Zelda gasped, running towards nowhere. He looked around, but saw nothing. Though, Zelda seemed to have seen something, since she was running frantically towards it. After a moment of watching her run madly towards absolutely nothing, Link followed after her.

When Zelda stopped, she jumped onto her knees and buried her face only in a pile of sand. Instantly, she pulled her head out.

"No!" she cried, spitting out the coarse grains from her mouth, grunting from the bitter taste. "No! There was cheesecake here just a second ago!" When Link arrived, he saw that the princess was covered with sand, removing it from her mouth.

He held back a grin. "What happened?"

"I just ate sand. Have you ever tried it, Link? It's quite tasty."

Link helped her up. "It looks like you saw a mirage," he explained, causing Zelda to pout.

"It looks like Link should be the one with the force of wisdom."

Zelda was about to ready to catch that little, annoying fairy and do only the goddesses knew what to it. "Nobody asked you," she replied.

_What a little suck-up, _she thought, _Well, here's news for you, fairy: It will never work out between you and Link because you are not the same SPECIES! _Without realizing it, as she thought to herself, Zelda had an odd , wrinkly look on her face.

"Are you alright, Princess?" Link asked her, as he began to caress her arm without realizing it. Instantly, she popped out of it. "Yes," she repliedswiftly, her arm twitching at his touch.

Of course, perhaps at a moment too soon, a poe popped out of nowhere.

Zelda screamed from shock, attaching herself to Link's side; though, Link knew how to handle this.

"Stand back," he told Princess Zelda as he drew a bottle from his bag. The poe, however, would not be as easy to capture as Link thought it would be. The apparition managed to strike at him a few times, which slowed down the process. Zelda couldn't stand watching him any longer.

"Take that, wench!"

Even Link was surprised at the power that emerged from the impatient princess. There was an enormous, pink flash of light. After it faded, Link opened his eyes to see that the poe was trapped inside the bottle in his hands. His eyes were broad when he looked over at Zelda.

"How did you…what did you…?" he tried to say, but was at a loss for words. In confidence, Zelda placed her hands on her hips.

"Just another advantage to being a woman."

Link decided to drop the subject before her pride turned her into another Gerudo woman. He placed the poe-filled bottle back in his bag. Then, Sprita spoke up. "Hey, I think I see a cave over there!" she cried. With a smirk, Zelda shook her head. "Silly fairy," she began, "You are only seeing an illusion, you–"

"She's right; there is a cave over there!"

Shocked, Zelda opened her eyes as Link grabbed her hand and began to run. Unfortunately, there truly was a cave, with a trap door in the way of the entrance.

"Well, it looks like we're stranded here, now," Zelda observed. But Link wasn't ready to give up that quickly. Out of his bag, he pulled out a bomb.

"Link, it's okay," Zelda told him, "You don't have to try and commit suicide."

"I'm not trying to kill myself," Link stated, "Just move out of the way for a moment." Asking no further questions, Zelda did just that.

Link then lit the bomb and placed it in front of the closed entrance. After that, he hastily moved away and hid next to Zelda and Sprita.

1…2…3…

On four, the bomb exploded. Zelda covered her ears at the tremendous noise. When they took a look, their only way in was unsealed. They didn't waste any more time.

"It's dark in here," Zelda observed the moment they had made it inside the cave. Then, she felt something crawling on her, causing the princess to frenetically scream and jump to Link.

"GET IT OFF ME! GET IF OFF ME!!"

When he looked, he saw a spider on her, and flicked it off. Sprita's glow was their only source of light they had.

Soon after, they approached another trap door. This one had writings on it. "_Are ye witted enough to solve thy riddle? Thine only way inside_–_ 'tis not by power alone_–_but, by the others put together,_" Zelda read, and then was puzzled herself, "…I wonder what that means…" Link was even more clueless. _Hmm… There's power…the other pieces… _Zelda suddenly beamed. "Hey! I've got it!" Link looked up at her as she took his hand into her and clasped their fingers together.

"Wisdom and courage!" she exclaimed, and then each of their hands glowed a piece of the Triforce. Link finally understood what was going on when the powers of wisdom and courage opened the trap door. Instantaneously, a blast of light filled the cave. They walked in.

It was the Great Fairy Fountain.

Link took the two heart crystals and brought them over to the fountain, Zelda by his side. As he revealed them, the water began to change colors. The water spurred and it resulted in the coming of the Great Fairy. This one had pulsating green hair. She smiled when she looked down at the young couple.

"Greetings to the princess and the Hero of Time!" she exclaimed, "I have what you've been searching for. The Heart's Mind Crystal!" She then raised her hands up into the air, and a green gemstone formed. It fell from the atmosphere and into Zelda's palms gracefully.

"You must now be ready to finally face Ganon," she continued, "These three crystals will enable you to break open the barrier to his castle, which rightfully belongs to you, Princess Zelda. But, you must be prepared to face him off in a battle as well.

"Hero of Time, you will surely need your Master Sword. That is the only weapon that will defeat the likes of him. You will also need the lightning arrows. But, you must remember my little riddle at all times: Ganon has only one piece of the Triforce, and so do each of you. Do you think you will win if only one piece fights the other? Surely not! When combined, courage and wisdom will overcome power and lead Hyrule back into tranquility. You must remember that!

"That dreadful Ganon will try to fool you in many ways. Do not listen to his mouth of lies! His words will only deceive you. Your love will triumph over his mendacity, and he will lose all his powers. You must practice! You must listen! 'Tis not a game we are playing! Everything rests in both of your hands, now. Open your eyes and take note with your ears, for what I am telling you now will affect your whole future: Love is the mightiest weapon you could possibly use."

Link and Zelda only stared at her with awe. The Great Fairy seemed to be worried. "My advice to you is limited," she explained to them, "These are your crystals, but they only play a small part. The real power lies in the two of you. Remember your aunt's last words to you, Princess Zelda! Time is running out. The Influx will come in precisely eleven days…

"Lastly, I shall take you out of this deserted place."

That was the very last thing that the Great Fairy spoke before a ray of light emerged from her. Everything around them turned black.

_When the hearts of wisdom and courage_ _become one, love will form, and peace will fill the land…_


	5. The Influx

**Hyrule Fields**

**Part Four:**

**The Influx**

When Link opened his eyes, he found himself back in Hyrule Fields, Epona by his side. Though, he then noticed that something wasn't right…

Princess Zelda was not beside him.

He instantly began to panic, abruptly standing up and looking the area over. "Zelda!" he cried out, but there was no answer. Sprita then came and flew by Link's shoulder.

"Now you notice she's gone?" the fairy commented, "I've been looking for her all over the place." Link's heart began to race at the fairy's observance.

"Where could she be?" he asked with apprehension. The fields were empty; him, Sprita, and Epona seeming to be the only creatures there at that point. Zelda was missing. Zelda–with the baby as well. Link couldn't handle the stress of cogitating what could have happened to her. He hopped onto Epona and began the search.

The moment Zelda awoke, her environment was unfamiliar. She knew, of course, that she was not outdoors. The princess concluded that she was inside another person's home. Right away, she became scared out of her mind. _Maybe some pervert found me, _she thought of the worst possible happenings. Though, it did not seem like a place a man would live in–but most definitely a woman.

Now that she mentioned it…The memory of these surroundings did start to come back to her. As her eyesight came back into clear focus, Zelda could see little balls of light flying all over the place. Only, they weren't little balls, but fairies. She gasped. Miss Olga Badolga's cottage.

"Wellers, now it's abouts time yous woke ups, missy."

Recognizing the voice and poor use of grammar, Zelda turned her head and saw the proverbial old woman. She was speechless as she stared at her with wide, blue eyes.

Olga laughed. "Hee-haw! Thought you'd be scareded! Odd finding yerselfs in a crazy ol' woman like me's homes, huh? Well, listen here, lil' lady, I founded yous laying o'er here by my property."

Still, Zelda didn't respond, but just stared at her silently in a terrified manner. Miss Badolga sighed. "Yous could at least be gratefuls that I saved your rutin' petutin' life!" she ordered. With the same uncanny expression on her face, Zelda managed to blurt out, "T-thank you." Though, that response wasn't enough for the old woman.

"So, whys you here by yer lonesome and nots with that Prince Charmings of yers?" she asked, "Actually, why yer here, anyways?"

"I don't know," Zelda said, "Last thing I remember was seeing the Great Fairy at the Haunted Wasteland in Gerudo Valley…"

"Well, yous can't be staying heres any longer, lil' girl," Olga ordered, forcing the princess off her bed, "You's gots to leave my property, now!" Wrinkling her nose, Zelda did what she was told.

"So, how's my lil' Sprita doin'?" she asked Zelda before she left the cottage. "Just great," she answered unenthusiastically. "Good. You leaves. G'bye!" Then, after the princess exited, Olga shut and locked the door.

"Now what?" Zelda said to herself as she roamed Lake Hylia. She decided to go out into Hyrule Fields and see if she could find Link. It was still daylight, so she didn't have to worry about anything real dangerous happening. In the lake she went and began to swim her way out.

Link had already looked through the fields for a while until he saw Zelda emerge from the water. Panting, he jumped off Epona and ran to her. "Princess!" he cried, as the soaked woman held herself from the cold. Not having a blanket with him, he tried holding her to keep her warm. "My goddesses, where were you?" he then asked her frantically.

"Miss Olga Badolga's cottage in Lake Hylia," she answered in-between shivers. A bewildered look appeared on Link's face. How in the world did he end up in Hyrule Fields as Zelda was in Lake Hylia? He shook his head at the thought. There was no time for that now. It was time to start getting ready for the ultimate crusade that was approaching them.

On Epona, they ventured off into Kakariko Village for a means of shelter once again. The ravenous princess had eaten as much as she could the moment they arrived. Link didn't hold her back, either. All he could think about was how he would prepare for the final face-off between him and the man he had fought such a while back ago–Ganondorf himself.

He also did not forget the words the Great Fairy had told him. It would be wisdom and courage against power. Link knew that he could absolutely not exclude Zelda from this. They had to work together in order to succeed. He looked over at the princess who was enjoying herself at the inn, conversing with the fellow people of Kakariko Village. He'd hate to see that lovely face ever be full of sadness.

Link had never thought that he'd ever feel so close to Zelda ever again, since his rebirth allowed him to only see her as Alice Elms, the annoying geek in high school. But, as they spent the last four months together, he began to view her in a completely different light. Not only was she more beautiful than the dawn itself, she also had a brilliant mind of her own. She knew what she wanted in life. She wasn't afraid of danger. Link started to see why he had once fallen in love with her.

He also began to wonder if it was happening again…

**Ten Days Later…**

**The moment of the Influx**

It was the day when everything began to turn upside-down.

Link and Zelda were not told what the Influx was, except by the Great Fairy, who only said it would arrive in several days. Well, the day had come. It was the day where Ganondorf would pronounce himself King of Hyrule. Everyone everywhere was talking about it. Some were thrilled; others thought it to be the end of Hyrule as they knew it. Some didn't even care.

But Link and Zelda did.

And today was the day in which it would end.

That day they were to set out into the kingdom of Hyrule, a place they hadn't been at in such a long time. Link checked his bag to see if he had everything he would need: bow and arrow, light arrows, and the three heart crystals. On his back were the Master Sword and Mirror Shield. He looked over at Zelda, who seemed to be nervous while she twiddled with her fingers, before they left Hyrule Field.

"Are you alright?" he asked her softly. Biting her lower lip, Zelda looked up, managing a small nod. "I think I'll be okay," she answered. Link smiled at her. "I can't believe we're about to do this," he said, and then placed his hands on her round stomach, "But I think _you'll_ make all the difference."

She blushed, looking down at the ground, trying not to look at his face. "How are you so sure?"

He then cupped her chin, raising her face to look at his. "I just have a really strong feeling."

With that, they climbed on top of Epona. Hitting the horse on the backside, they rode off. _Hyrule, here we come…_

As they approached the castle, everything began to become as dark as night. The undead roamed the area of the marketplace. At the gates, Link and Zelda stepped off of Epona. This was it. It was now or never. Gradually, they approached the doorway. There, a large barrier was placed, static emitting. The entrance was blocked by it, and it was impossible for one to get passed the dangerous concealing.

With a brave sigh, Link pulled out the three gemstones: the Heart's Eye, Heart's Soul, and Heart's Mind Crystals. The magic that emerged from them caused the three gems to join together and create a brilliant flash of light. With that light, it caused the seal to open. The barrier exploded before them, the area being lit for a moment from the burst of magic surrounding them.

When they entered the castle, it was as if they had fallen into a black hole. Nothing seemed the same as it used to be. The furniture was rearranged so differently that Zelda could not recognize the palace at all. She grabbed Link's hand, afraid to let go.

"Link, I'm scared," she whispered. "Ganondorf is a brutal man." He tightened his grip. "Don't worry," he replied, "I'm here with you."

"And so am I."

Instantly, they looked up and ahead. Who they saw stunned them completely. _No, it can't be, _Link thought, unable to blink, _It's impossible. _Though, Zelda was not as disbelieving as he was.

"Impa!" she cried, running towards her, "I can't believe this! You're here!" She approached her aunt and hugged her tightly. Link stayed right where he was, totally baffled and suspicious. After their embrace, Impa looked at her niece. "Oh, my Zelda," she said caringly, "How I've missed you!"

"I've missed you, too!" Zelda exclaimed, "How did you come back?" Impa paused before answering.

"…Let's just say I managed to slip through."

Zelda then looked into her eyes, trying to find her aunt inside of her. But, Impa quickly turned her face and looked towards Link. "Mr. Hero!" she cried out, "Aren't you going to come and greet me?" Apprehensively, he approached the woman and the princess.

But, after a single look in her eyes, he knew that something was not at all right.

"What's wrong?" she asked him with a grin, "Don't you…trust me?"

Link searched deeper into her eyes now, and he soon recognized the glare that lurked within the dark pupils. His eyes widened at his discovery.

"Zelda! Watch out, it's a trap!"

Impa took hold of Zelda and held her roughly. The princess screamed at the harsh position she was held in, struggling to break free. Link tried to rescue her, but Impa took a major leap back. A leap so powerful that only one person was capable of performing such a stunt.

With the snap of her fingers, a magical phenomenon came over the older, white-haired woman; only to reveal that the person underneath was the man of all evil himself: Ganondorf.

Link gasped at the sight of him. "Link! He's gotten me! Make him-" Zelda cried, but Ganondorf covered her mouth with his hand, holding her back against her will. Link tried once again to come within reach of her, however, with the stomp of his foot, he blew Link back against the wall.

"Well, we meet again, little Link," Ganondorf said smugly, tightening his grip on the princess. The hero was infuriated.

"Let her go!" he shrieked, but Ganondorf only laughed at him.

"Stupid kid!" he shouted with a grin, "You thought that this would be a piece of cake, didn't you? Show's how much you know!"

Link tried to get up again, but Ganondorf continued to stomp, sending him back against the wall harshly once more. "Who said I was finished talking, little boy?" he commanded, "I hope you wrote your will, because today you will surely die! And, all of Hyrule will be mine, including this little vixen I have here." Zelda tried to scream, but her voice was muffled by Ganondorf's large, empowering hand. The rogue looked down and smiled at her. "Pretty little thing, isn't she?" Link scowled.

The scoundrel released his hand from the princess's mouth, planting a fervent kiss on her lips. She tried to kick him off, but he was too strong, too powerful for her to fight off. She was repulsed by the kiss, the coarse texture of his mouth, the sliminess of his tongue.

When he finally detached his lips from hers, Zelda took a gasp for breath.

"Link! You have to stop–"

However, Ganondorf managed to conceal her maw once again, hushing her up with his cold hand. "See you later, hero," Ganondorf stated, "…if you live."

Link finally regained his energy to stand back up, in hopes of getting to him on time. In spite of that, Ganondorf flew into the air and vanished with the princess. They were gone, leaving Link alone with Sprita. "Damn it!" Link exclaimed fiercely, throwing his shield harshly to the ground. "He has the princess!"

He looked around him. He had no time to complain. He needed to find Ganondorf.

"Link, look!" Sprita observed, flying off to show him what she saw. "Here's a flight of stairs," she said, and he followed her up. The staircase seemed to go on forever. Link started to run out of breath in the middle of it. But, he could not let the kingdom down. Ganondorf had the princess with her, and he knew that the rogue did not care at all about the wellfare of that baby. With his inspiration leading him, Link was able to make it up the entire twenty, or more, flights he had to travel. The menacing rogue was using his power to distort the castle, and the young man didn't know what else to expect from him.

He then found himself inside a room with three doors. Link observed each one carefully. They all read the same riddle, but each door contained a different answer. The riddle was: _What can appear small, but is always large? What seems short, but is the tallest? What is strange, but makes the most sense? _This confused him incredibly. The first door's answer was 'war.' That actually made sense, but there were still two more doors to look at. The second door read 'a Goron.' That didn't help, since that was a sensible answer as well. Finally, Link took a gander at the last door: 'Love.'

_What can appear small, but is always large?_

Love.

_What seems short, but is the tallest?_

Love.

_What is strange, but makes the most sense?_

Of course, it was love.

Link could not deny the answer any further. He opened the third door.

There, he found himself inside a different room, with only a single door this time. As he began to walk, a ray of light followed him. It wasn't an ordinary ray, however. It was definitely a flaming laser. He could feel the burn sink in his boots. Hurriedly, he ran to the door and opened it, sighing a breath of relief once he had walked through.

Of course, there just had to be another flight of perpetual stairs. Hastily, he ran up…and up…and up…and up, cursing Ganondorf under his breath as he continued to create this unbearable distortion, until he finally made it to another door. He was in aniother maze now, but, this time, it was quite different.

The undead–everywhere. It was unbelievable. They were ready to pounce him. Taking a deep breath, Link took out his sword, and then it began. They headed towards him, desperately wanting to suck his energy. However, (and with his eyes closed) he started aimlessly stabbing with his sword. Piercing, chopping, dicing–whatever he had to do to slaughter them. Finally, it was over; they were all in pieces, lying on the floor. And, he was off again.

Squeezing his way past the narrow, edged walls, he found another door. Though, when he opened it, things were not what he expected them to be…

It was as if he wasn't inside the castle anymore, but on a cloud. Actually, he _was_ on a cloud, up in the sky. And there beside him, was Malon, looking down at his face with a smile on her lips.

"Hello, Link," she said tenderly, stroking his cheek with the palm of her hand, "We've been waiting for you…" Link's eyes widened. "_We?_" he repeated. Just then, several more beautiful farm girls appeared behind Malon. _This cannot be happening._ But it was hard for him to deny it was.

Now, all five women surrounded his body. "Link, do you want to play with us?" they asked in unison. In a daze, he answered, "Sure." He caught the look of deceptive smiles that appeared on their lips as they each placed their right hands on the center of his stomach. Then, they squeezed down, causing Link to yell out in pain.

"Let's play!" they cried out again; but this time their voices changed from a heavenly tone to a coarse, rough pitched growl. Immediately, Link stood up. The clouds had disappeared, and he was inside the castle again. It had all been an illusion. However, instead of five lovely Malons, there were five ugly poes. "Oh no…" he whispered to himself.

Their laughs were sinister and wicked as they tried to attack at the young man. Yet, Link did not have any more bottles with him at that point. He ran in many different directions, but they still followed him. Several times he was hurt by their magic, that is, until he took out his bow and arrows. Suddenly, he had a frenzy of lunacy explode from him as he began to shoot the arrows all over the place. In a matter of seconds, the poes (who had gotten shot at) had vanished.

And there, in front of him, was the Master Door; the entrance that would lead him to Ganondorf. He couldn't help but slowly draw near it, fearing what would be on the other side. But with all the courage that he kept within, he found the strength to open the door.

"Link!"

The young man looked up immediately and saw Princess Zelda, trapped inside a blue crystal.

"Princess!"

She banged on the walls of her blockade.

"I see you've found me."

Link then looked back ahead of him and saw Ganondorf. The man still kept the broad smirk on his face from their last encounter. Link glowered at him.

"Bastard! Let her go now! It's me you want!" The scoundrel only shook his head at him. "Tsk, tsk Link. I thought you would be smarter than that. Would you really think that I would harm the mother of your child?" he said, "Most definitely not. But, if I was to release her, then what? You'd hug, kiss, and make up?"

"Let her go, damn it!"

"Now, there's no need for harsh words," he continued, "I'm sure we could settle this…quite rationally, right?"

Link was beginning to getting furious from Ganondorf's taunts. Seeing this, Zelda yelled out to him.

"Link, don't let him get to you!" she cried, "He's trying to make you angry! Don't listen to him; I'm alright!" Even though he heard her desperate pleas, Link couldn't help but feel much rage towards the Gerudo man.

"By the way, how did you enjoy the surprise I planted for you in Death Mountain?" Ganondorf wittedly asked, "I thought you and Kukoma would make pretty good friends." That was it for Link. With his sword in his hand, he charged at Ganondorf.

However, all he had to do was raise his hand and the power that materialized from it caused Link to get sent back harshly against the wall of the room. Zelda screeched at Ganon's rough, merciless measures to get want he wanted.

"So, you want to play with the big boys now, huh?" Ganondorf said. "That's fine with me. But, I must warn you, Link. The big boys play rather rough."

The grin on Ganondorf's face had become vast and gargantuan. The fact that he seemed so confident began to frighten and anger Link.

"Finally, I shall possess the three entities, and the Triforce shall be mine!"

His left hand began to glow the third piece of the Triforce: power. The light of his magic filled the room; it was blinding, surreal. Nothing could be seen or heard for several moment. And when the room finally cleared, Link saw that Ganondorf was even powerful than ever. He flew into midair, grinning down at his opponent.

"You may have the Master Sword…" he began, "…but my powers are too much for you to handle now!" With saying that, he formed a large orb of magic in the center of his chest, and then threw it towards Link.

Zelda gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "Link, watch out!"

At the last instant, Link jumped out of the way. Ganondorf tried again, but Link still managed to dodge the orb. The rogue frowned. "Don't think too highly of yourself," he called out, "Because we are just getting started." Link's heart began to beat more rapidly at his taunts.

Without delaying, Link took out his bow and light arrows. Instantly, he shot one towards Ganondorf, hitting the man right at the center of his chest. He yelped out in pain as Link ran towards him, trying to hit at him with his sword, but missed his chance. Ganondorf stomped his foot once again and sent Link flying back.

Zelda could not watch. This was way too much for her to handle. _You stupid broad, _she thought to herself, _You should be down there helping him! Why would you be so stupid to believe that Impa had returned? Now Link is going to die, and it's your entire fault! _A tear began to slither down her face. She could not stand the thought of Link dying on her. Especially after all they had been through together. With that tear, many more began to travel down her cheeks, soaking her flesh.

So far, Link's battle with Ganondorf was not successful. He had only shot at him three times with his arrow, but still was hit by the orbs at an even greater extent. His body was starting to weaken drastically, and he didn't know for how much longer he could make it.

"Do you give up yet?" Ganondorf growled mischievously, "Are you ready to hand over what truly belongs to me?"

Link vigorously shook his head, spitting blood from his mouth. "You will never posses the three pieces of the Triforce!" he promised, "And I will live to make sure you don't!" His eyes were squinted as he attempted to stare him straight in the eye, his chest expanded broadly with every struggling breath he , Ganondorf, found Link's act of bravery to be hilarious, foolish.

"How cute," he commented haughtily, "But cute will get you nowhere, kid. We're playing in the big leagues now, and cute won't do!"

Without warning, he created a large, black orb. Though, when it approached Link, the young man hastily protected himself with his shield. When the orb hit the armor of protection, it bounced back towards it origin. Ganondorf opened his eyes from amidst his hysteria and gasped. The orb hit him, and he landed on the floor haughtily. Forcing himself up, Link then ran to his side and stabbed him with his sword.

"Ugh!" the man groaned in pain, and then pushed Link back coarsely. He placed his hand at the side of his waist and blood stained his finger tips. Outraged, he bellowed at the top of his lungs.

"Never again! NEVER AGAIN!"

The whole room rumbled, shaking madly as if a massive earth quake had taken over. Trying to regain his balance, Link attempted to stand afar from Ganondorf. Once again, he shot a light arrow towards him. It hit him without warning, causing him to scream with agony.

"Is this how you want to play, Link?" he scowled, "Then you shall be the blame of the princess's –and your child's– death!"

Again, Ganondorf created another orb, but this time, it wasn't directed towards Link.

…But to Zelda's crystal up above.

"No!" Link cried. He found himself then running towards Ganondorf, pushing him down to the floor, and getting hit by the orb directly instead. The impact of him being so close when he had gotten hit caused Link to smash back against the wall–unconscious and perhaps dead–eyes closed, his body only laying there, a puddle of blood forming next to him.

Zelda shrieked the loudest she had ever before, tears streaming down her face like a raging river. "LINK!" Without even trying, tremendous pink sparks emerged from her fingertips, and light filled her crystal, causing it to explode, giving her her freedom. She landed on her feet safely, running to Link's still body.

She could hear Ganondorf's weak laughs as she approached Link, who seemed lifeless. Crying uncontrollably, the princess embraced him, her tears staining the cloth of his tunic. "Link! Link, get up! Please!" she cried, but he would not budge. "No, LINK! Please…" But, it was no use. He was dead. Burying her face in his lap, she cried helplessly, her body almost as limp as his, embracing his blood and becoming drenched in it.

"No…Link…I…I love you…"

"Don't cry, little Zelda."

She instantly looked up and saw Ganondorf limping towards her; his cape filled with many holes as he laid his arm against his bloody wound. Rage filled her entire body, as she trembled from the mass adrenaline of it.

"You evil bastard!" she yelled, her voice loud and shrill, as she lifted her face from Link's lap. "You killed him!" But, Ganondorf did not seem to agree with her, as he shook his head gently, maintaining that clever, subtle smile.

"Now, Zelda, don't blame me," he reasoned. "He killed himself. I didn't tell him to run into me like that. I always thought he was a foolish boy. I guess I was right."

"Shut up!" she yelled, refusing to let him coax her. "This is my castle, not yours! Link was the one person that I ever loved and you took him away from me, too! But, you haven't won yet…"

_Love is the mightiest weapon you could possibly use…_

_When combined, wisdom and courage will overcome power and lead Hyrule back to tranquility._

Ganondorf gasped lightly in curiosity and apprehension as he saw the princess turn her face back to Link. "What are you doing?" he asked her.

"Something I should have done a long time ago."

And with saying those final words, she leaned forward and kissed Link's mouth. Instantly, both of their hands glowed a piece of the Triforce: Zelda, wisdom and Link, courage.

"No!" Ganondorf screamed, attempting to reach over and halt her. But it was too late for him to do a thing.

A magnificent light filled the whole room, sending Ganondorf down on his rear, his vision blurred. When he could see once more, the princess stood before him, but not appearing the same as before. She seemed to have a whole different vibe, a more powerful stamina, and also more strength than she had previously. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened. An uncanny terror filled within him, as the princess stood before him so leisurely, so powerfully. Now, she was the one to smirk at him. Lifting her left hand, she flaunted it a few inches from his face.

It now glowed two pieces of the Triforce.

He panted, now scared out of his mind. His breaths were wild and heavy, his thoughts scattered within his head. He didn't know what the princess was now capable of.

She picked him up and threw him up against the wall. Ganondorf groaned in pain, and winced as Zelda began to slowly approach him.

"Princess, please, have mercy on me," he begged, trying to crawl away from her backwards. The wall behind him had ceased his attempt, and all he could do was stare the princess directly in the eye. "I promise; I'm a changed man now. Please!"

"Ganondorf," she began, "I'm sick of playing your little games. Play time is over!" Then, she spotted Link's Master Sword over to the side, and picked it up.

"Princess, no!"

But, she didn't listen to him. Closing her eyes shut, she began to stab away at him. She could feel his blood splattering on her. She could hear the sound of his body being sliced and his organs being slashed as well as the ear piercing screams that emerged from his mouth. She was in a mad frenzy, unable to cease crying, swinging, even after his shrieks had muted. And finally, she stopped, and released the sword. It clanged harshly as it hit the ground. Zelda turned away before she finally opened her eyes, not wanting to see the mess she had created.

Ganondorf was dead. He was finally dead.

She looked down again at her left hand, and then saw another piece was added: Power. Zelda now possessed all three pieces to the puzzle, as her hand glowed the complete triangle. She could do anything she possibly wanted now. Power, wealth, the world–she could have it all.

But she didn't want it all.

All she wanted was Link.

Zelda looked at the young man in green who laid against the wall. Slowly, she came to him and sat by his side, holding his motionless body against her own tenderly. "By the power of the Triforce," she whispered, "…I shall set you free." She kissed his mouth once more, and the result was a complete paradox…

When Zelda opened her eyes again, she and Link were in the Temple of Time. Instead of being drenched with Ganondorf's blood, her dress was clean and an illuminating white. Down, right next to her, lied Link, unmoving in her arms. It was then when there was another blast of light, and a beautiful woman appeared before her.

It was the image of her mother.

Zelda thought that her eyes were deceiving her, but truly they weren't. Tears began slide down her cheeks.

"My Princess Zelda," the heavenly woman began, "'Tis I, the spirit of your mother. I have been awaiting this day for a while now. I am here because you, who had taken my place as the sage and watcher of the Triforce after my death, now possess its powers inside of you. I have come to grant you your wishes, hopes, dreams, and so much more! What is it that you desire, my darling?"

Zelda did not hesitate to answer. "I want peace to return to Hyrule," she stated firmly, "I want Impa to come back. I want my castle back! I want Sprita to return back with Miss Olga Badolga! But most importantly…I yearn for my love, Link, to return to me." The woman nodded her head with a soft smile.

"Give me your hand, child," she commanded gently, and Zelda placed her palm on the glowing, delicate hand before her. "I want the Triforce to be back where it belongs, and the Master Sword back in its stone," the princess continued with a shaky voice and wide, glittery blue eyes.

"Very well; your desires will be fulfilled." Then, as she held Zelda's hand, there was a large glow that manifested from their palms, engulfing the temple.

When Zelda opened her eyes, she was in a garden full of beautiful roses. However, these weren't just ordinary roses. They were the ones of her personal garden, back at the castle. When she realized where she was, she jumped up excitedly. From her enthusiasm, she tripped over several flowers, and she ran until she found Link lying in another section of the flowers not too far off. With her heart pacing, she rested a hand on him, feeling the warmth of his body generating through hers.

Her heart tingled when she saw him open his eyes.

"Link!" she exclaimed gleefully, "You're alive!" Zelda didn't let him say anything in response. She only went on top of his body and began kissing his lips fervently. It was a kiss like no other; one that meant everything to Zelda, even the Triforce itself. When they finally parted, Link managed to sit back up.

"What happened…?" he asked, placing a dazed hand behind his head. "How did we get here? And, what happened to Ganondorf?" Zelda smiled softly before she answered him. "He's dead," she said simply, "Everything is going to be okay."

"I thought I was going to lose you, Zelda."

"I thought I _did_ lose you."

For a moment, they simply stared at one another. The stillness was broken when Link placed a hand on Zelda's cheek, and then slowly moved his face towards hers, sinking his lips into her mouth. Her heart was racing as she felt him move closer to her, embracing her stomach with his arms. His lips glided against hers gracefully, his scent intoxicating, his breath hot and invigorating. Link moved his fingers through her golden hair, enjoying the thick feeling of silk. If they could chose, they'd never want this moment to end. Everything was perfect.

"Excuse me, but it seems that I must interrupt for a short moment."

Instantly, they parted, and then looked behind them. Zelda gasped upon seeing the older face of someone familiar and dear to her.

"Impa!" she cried, getting up from the garden and running towards her aunt. They embraced in a firm hug, Zelda squeezing the elder woman, trembling in her arms. Link approached them, still as confused as he was before.

"Impa? What? How-?"

"I'm so proud of you two," Impa declared, cutting off the perplexed hero. "You defeated Ganondorf!"

"Don't thank me. Zelda did it all, somehow," Link confessed, rubbing his nose in an intrgued manner. Impa looked at her niece and grinned. "You had possession of the Triforce. You had control of the world itself–and you chose to use it for good," she observed, "Thanks to the hard work of the both of you, Hyrule and the rest of the world will live in peace…for a while, anyway."

"Hold on a second," Link interrupted, his eyes wide in utter astonishment. He gawked at the princess with his jaw hanging to the ground. "You obtained the TRIFORCE?"

Zelda merely shrugged her shoulders. "Perhaps."

"So that's how you gave that fucker Ganondorf what he deserved?"

Zelda looked back at Link, a blush tinting her cheeks. Seeing the peculiar look in their eyes, Impa received the notion that she should leave the two alone.

"I best make ways to the castle," she told them, "…Just to make sure that everything there is alright." And so, she left Link and Zelda by themselves.

For a short while, they were silent.

"Link…" Zelda began as he made his way to her, "…I…"

"I love you, too, Zelda," he answered back, knowing what she was going to say. A smile spread across her lips, the closeness of their bodies inevitable. She could feel his breath on her; she could even smell the sweet fragrance of his body. His warmth made her whole body shiver.

At that moment, her whole adventure seemed to flash before her eyes: the return of Ganondorf, the rebirth, coming back to Hyrule, the three Great Fairies, the final events with the rogue himself, and her obtainment of the complete Triforce. She looked down her stomach, as Link placed his hands on her round, curved waist. The baby kicked. In a few short months, her child–the next Hero of Time–would be born unto her.

Then, she looked back up and into Link's cool, blue eyes. Without uttering a word, her eyelids closed and she let him kiss her again. This time, she wrapped her arms around him, and never wanted to let go. He kissed her repeatedly, firmly. His mouth was fervent against hers, as all the passion he had contained within himself for so long had erupted. Pulling away from her briskly, he remembered what had been left unfinished back at the Lon Lon Ranch.

Zelda let out a surprised shriek when Link suddenly lifted her up, allowing her to wrap her legs around him securely.

"It is my duty as the Hero of Time to serve the princess of Hyrule in any manner in which she desires," he declared nobly, then paused. "In any position, any environment..." Zelda giggled at his clever notion, caressing his cheeks with her palms. "I want you here, in the flowers." She kissed his smiling lips. And to her surprise once more, he quickly placed her down, lifting up her skirts excitedly.

"In the name of the princess!"

Zelda squirmed on the roses. "...Link, I- _oh_!"

She cut herself short, clutching at the grasses and flowers and thrusting her hips forward, giving Link permission to serve...Hyrule.

...For, Ganondorf was gone…And the kingdom was safe.

**_The End…_**


End file.
